Basketball Games
by Snow White2
Summary: Just when they thought that Kelen was all figured out, her anger makes them think differently. But the past isn't easy to dig up, especially when someone doesn't want it uncovered.
1. Default Chapter

"Disclaimer: I don't own the ninja turtles; I do own Kelen and Lauren. Trent will also make an appearance sometime. He's mine too.  
  
Note- I was going to finish my other story first but I was inspired. Reviews are always welcome and appreciated.  
  
  
  
Kelen stood on the half basketball court in her backyard. She twirled the ball through her fingers for a few seconds. She put it up and it went through the net. The ball bounced back. Kelen had been outside practicing free throws for an hour now.  
  
Lauren stood in the backyard, leaning against the side of their house. She watched Kelen make free throw after free throw. "Amazing," she thought out loud. "What is?" came a voice from behind her. Lauren jumped. "Hey guys! I see you don't knock, like Kelen," Leo, Donny, Raph and Mikey all smiled. "Now what's so amazing?" Don asked, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Just watch," she told them, pointing to the basketball court. They all stood and watched Kelen make lay ups, free throws, drive shots, all one after the other. And she didn't ever miss. "Wow," said Mikey, "She's good!" They had never seen Kelen play basketball. "She's the best," said Lauren, "She's got a game in two days and she's working herself. She's the best in her school and she's playing against another girl who's just as good for the Senior Championship. Right now, nothing is more important to her than winning this game." They continued to watch Kelen. She made a half court shot. Mikey cheered. "Way to go Kel!" he shouted. Kelen spun around and smiled. "Thanks Mike!" she shouted back. "Need a little competition?" Mikey asked hopefully. Mikey was also good at basketball. But they all knew he wasn't half as good as Kelen. Kelen shrugged, "Sure, come on." Mikey jogged out to the court. The others all followed behind him for a better seat. Kelen tossed him the ball. He threw it right back at her. "You take out," he offered. "Alright," Kelen agreed. "Mikey that isn't a good idea. I know from experience," Lauren warned him. Mikey took his position on front of Kelen. "I'm not going easy on you," Mikey told her. Kelen rolled her eyes. "Likewise," she said. "Ready?" Mikey asked. "Ready," Kelen told him. Mikey crouched down. Kelen bounced the ball a few times. Then she tossed it over his head, ran around and caught it on the other side, and made a basket. Mikey stood there, shocked. The group on the sidelines 'oooeed' the players. "I wasn't ready," said Mikey. "Sure," Kelen said, tossing him the ball. "You take out this time." Mikey bounced the ball. He went to one side only to have Kelen scoop the ball out of his hands and drive another shot. Everyone laughed at the look on Mikey's face. "I quit," he said, putting his hands up in surrender. "Wimp," Kelen teased, sticking her tongue out at him. "Any more takers?" she questioned. Everyone shook their heads and a murmur of no's went around. Kelen shrugged, turned, and made one last shot to finish it off. "Then let's go inside," she said. Everyone rose and started talking. Raph came over and kissed her lips. "I'm all sweaty," she told him as he put his arms around her. She gave him a kiss and started to walk inside. He followed her. Once in the kitchen, they were greeted with an argument between Lauren and Mikey. Donny and Leo were trying very hard not to laugh. "Pretty please with a cherry on top?" he begged her. "No! Mikey for the last time we aren't going to have another food fight!" Lauren yelled. "No fair! I wasn't here last time! Only Donny and Raph got to have fun!" he whined. Kelen burst up laughing. "You heard about that?" she asked. "Donny came home covered in whip cream and chocolate, it's hard not to notice," Leo told her. Kelen nodded, "Ah," she said. "So Kelen, where did learn to play basketball?" Donny asked. "My brother taught me when I was five," They all gaped at her. She was always surprising them with some new piece of information about her life. "You have a brother?" Raph asked. Kelen nodded, "I thought you guys knew. I have two brothers." They all shook their heads. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought Lauren would have told you that night I spazzed out," she said popping open a soda. "Spazzing out doesn't even come close to what you did," Mikey informed her. Kelen looked around. "What?" Mikey asked. "I'm looking for something to throw at you," she said honestly. They all laughed.  
  
"So your brother, huh?" Leo asked, "What are their names?" Kelen took a gulp of her soda. "Brendan and Trent," she started, "Brendan taught me how to play. He got hit by a car and died when he was fifteen," They looked at her again. Lauren slapped her arm. "Could you be any more unemotional?" she asked. "If I tried," Kelen said, looking blankly at a wall. "I guess that after saying it for so long I just got used to it, I'm sorry. Would like me to cry?" Kelen asked. "Yes," said Lauren. Kelen collapsed onto the floor in an emotional scene of drama. Then she got up. "Better?" she asked. "Yes," said Lauren. They all loosened up a bit. Mikey even laughed. "He's four years older than me, almost five. I was ten when it happened. It was two years after my mom died. My other brother, Trent, is two years older than me. He is very over protective and worries about me a lot. He drove me to the point of insanity one day and I moved here with Lauren." "So you used to live somewhere else?" Leo asked. "Yeah, I used to live in California with Lauren," she said. "Wow, anything else we don't know about? Kids? A criminal record? A husband maybe?" Mikey asked. Kelen thought, "Hmmm…no, I think that about covers it," she said. "Geez, I can't believe you don't tell us all this stuff," Raph said. Kelen shrugged. She looked down and started playing with her coke can. "Why didn't you ever tell us?" Donny asked. Kelen shrugged again. "Kelen…" Leo said, "You okay?" Kelen nodded, but when she looked up, there were tears welling up in her eyes. Kelen opened up her mouth to say something but instead shook her head and walked outside to the basketball court. They were all silent for a minute. "Well, I feel bad," Mikey said. They all nodded. Raph couldn't believe he had just pushed his girlfriend to the point of tears. Leo had all his attention focused on Kelen and the basketball that had now become a part of her body. She still hadn't missed a shot. "I can't believe all the strength she has," he said, obviously impressed. For the first time, Lauren spoke, "It isn't strength," she said, "its anger."  
  
*So where did this beautiful girl get enough anger to play like this? Maybe it's from all the things that have happened in her past. Or maybe there is one more thing she's just not telling them. Please read and review! 


	2. Scars

The time had ticked slowly by into minutes and hours. The guys had been given permission to stay there for the day. Raph and Mikey were caught up in a game show and were raising their voices at the screen. Donny was reading on the couch, and Leo had been silent for a good part of the day. Leo was studying Kelen, who despite the fact that her boyfriend was over for the day, had remained in the backyard shooting hoops. She had gone from tossing the ball into the basket to tearing down the cement court with more force and energy than was needed. She tore across the half court, fighting off invisible players and trying desperately to burn down the rage that was building inside of her.  
  
Raph had kept his eye on Leo the whole day. He didn't like it that he was watching her so closely. He had shot him a furtive "lay-off" glance every now and then, but it was obvious that Leo was trying to figure out what was wrong with Kelen, and he wasn't going to back down until he had. Finally Raph got up off the couch and walked outside. He had felt guilty the days length about pushing Kelen. He silently slipped out the back door and padded quietly across the lawn until he reached the court.  
  
Kelen stood, ball entwined within her hands, looking closely at the hoop. She shot the ball, it went through and barely made contact with the net. She burst down the court, retrieved the ball and continued her rough game. She stopped when she sensed someone's presence behind her. They came up and turned her around by the shoulders. Raphael.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said. He penetrated her thoughts with his deep, meaningful eyes. She turned away from his touch and let the ball slip through her fingers and glide through the net. "It's not you," she said, her back still turned. "What then?!" Raphael asked, his emotions bursting through his words. Kelen just stood there. Then she turned to face him. "If I told, he'd get me," Kelen said, numb to the feeling in her voice. Raphael's eyes narrowed. "Who?" he asked, despising the thought that someone would hurt her. "If I told, he'd get me," she repeated in the same tone. Raphael looked up at the sky. Gray clouds were filling its entirety. It was going to rain, pour probably. "Come inside," he ordered. She ignored him. He took her elbow, she pushed him away. "If I were you, I wouldn't dare bring me inside," she said this in a tone and emotion he hadn't yet heard from her. He didn't want to challenge it. She turned her back to him again. He reached out and gently touched her neck. She reached back and touched his hand. He spun her around. "You're scaring me," he told her, holding tight to her wrist. She pulled her hand free. "Please, Raph just let me play," she begged. He held her eyes for a moment, then turned and went inside.  
  
Kelen sank back into the memories she had been reliving when Raph came out. She was cold, she didn't feel safe. When was the last time she had…?  
  
(Flashback)  
  
Eight year old Kelen sat in her grandfather's overstuffed chair. It smelled of old spice and cherry tobacco. It was such a different smell from her mother's endless nights and restaurants scent. But nice, and comforting in a way. She missed those smells. They had both left her and she now held them captive inside her memory. She finished the last page in her Dr. Seuss book, and headed off to bed. She tucked herself in, and lulled herself to sleep. Her door quietly opened. The man who called himself her father, the one who had been neglecting her for years, made his way across her floor. Kelen tried her hardest to be asleep, but she wasn't. He sat on the end of her bed. "It's your fault," he told her. Kelen knew this. Her father had been telling her it was her fault ever since it happened. "You should have stopped that man from killing her," he said blamefully, "then you'd still have a mother and I'd still have a wife." Tears clogged Kelen's eyes and turned her world to a wet blur. "You should have called an ambulance when your Grandpa had a heart attack." Kelen tried to muffle the sounds of her tears. "Then he'd still be here too. It's your entire fault," He was silent for a moment and Kelen hoped he would leave. Bu then he ripped her from her bed and threw her against a wall. He beat her violently. Hitting her face and kicking her body. Kelen finally managed to scream. A pound was heard at her door seconds later. "Help!" she screamed. Her father punched her jaw and broke it. Then he stood back, breathing hard. "Kelen!" she heard her brother's voice from behind the door. Her father shot his head toward the door. "If you ever tell anyone, I'll know. And when I find out, I'll get you. I'll kill you and everyone that matters in your life," he meant this. Then he took out a pocket knife and sliced it across her back. He flung the door open. Brendan came running in. He looked at Kelen and scooped her into his arms. He held her and told her it would be okay. Her father left the next day and never returned. Two years passed, and Kelen was finally able to tell him what had happened that night. The next day Brendan was hit and killed by a hit and run driver. The day after, Kelen received an anonymous note in the mail. It read only two words, 'You Told.'  
  
(End Flashback)  
  
Rain poured down from the skies along with thunder and lightning. Kelen was drenched and shivering but continued to play. She shred through the rain and screamed. She violently threw ball after ball against the backboard. She ran across the court threatening to kill everything in her path. Rage burned inside of her and engulfed her body with a hot anger. She screamed from somewhere inside her mind and it came out through her mouth. She slipped on the wet concrete. Her head sounded like a coconut smashing against wood. In two seconds Leo was outside. He grabbed her by the middle and dragged her across the yard into the house fury burning hot in her eyes. He put her down in the living room. There were a million different things she wanted to scream, but none came. All eyes were on her and Leo. Leo breathed deeply. "What is wrong with you?" he asked all too calmly. "You have been playing in the pouring rain for an hour; you're going to make yourself sick. You have been playing for almost seven hours. We are all very worried. Please," he begged her, "tell us. We won't let anyone hurt you." The fury died and she transformed back into herself. The anger had been heating her body and she realized just how cold she was. She looked outside. The rain was coming down in sheets. Her body trembled. She was freezing and her head was throbbing. Raph came up behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Maybe you should go take a shower first," he suggested. She nodded. She looked into Leo's ice cold stare. "I'm so sorry," her voice quivered. His eyes melted and he hugged her. He could tell Raph didn't like it, but was tolerating it. She slowly moved away from him. "Go take a shower," he sighed. She nodded again.  
  
In the bathroom, Kelen stripped off her wet clothes. She looked at the long, red scar going along her back. She touched it softly, like if she pressed too hard it might bleed all over again. She examined the bruises covering her legs as a memory of that night. She then examined the bump on her head, it was bad. She stepped into the hot shower.  
  
Raph sat in one of the many guest rooms at Lauren and Kelen's house. He was under the covers and flipping through TV channels. There was no way they could walk home in a storm like this. They had all decided to wait it out. Someone knocked on his door. "Yeah?" he questioned. It opened softly. "Can I come in?" Kelen asked. She was out of the shower and was wearing a football jersey and black sweats. "Yeah, sure," Raph said.  
  
She sat on the end of his bed. "You need something?" he asked. "Just hold me," Kelen said, tears forming in her eyes. Raph didn't ask why, but pulled her up next to him and held her. He did his best to protect her from the world that had turned its back on her. He kissed her softly. She finally relaxed and fell asleep in his arms, leaving him to wonder just what had happened to this girl so long ago, and was hurting her enough that she couldn't tell anyone.  
  
*Reviews are always welcome! 


	3. Taking a Run

Kelen jumped at the sound of thunder. She was never going to get any sleep through this storm. She was still in Raph's room, or at least the guest room he was staying in, and he was sound asleep. She laid her head down again and the thunder seemed to stop. But just as she was on the verge of sleep, more struck. She jumped up with a gasp. Raph woke up hearing her and feeling her jump. She hadn't noticed he had wakened up. "What's wrong?" he asked in a very sleepy voice. She snapped her head towards him. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry Raph," she said. But she was actually very happy he was up. "It's okay," he said trying to shake the sleep from his body. Thunder rattled through the sky. Kelen jumped again, she couldn't get used to it. A mischievous grin spread across Raphael's face. "You're scared of thunder, aren't you?" he asked. Kelen stared straight ahead at the blank TV screen. "No, I just don't like," wind shook the window, "loud sounds," she finished with a little jolt. The grin disappeared, "Come on," Raph said, holding out an arm. Kelen moved from the other side of the bed into Raph's arms. He pulled the covers up over them and held her tight. He could feel her relaxing in his arms. "Get some sleep," he told her. Then he had a thought. "Or if you can't sleep, we could do something else," he added, his hand making its way up her shirt. She reached back and slapped his arm. "We talked about that, you know I'm not doing that," she said. He could feel the tenseness return to her body. "Sorry," he said softly and kissed her cheek. She relaxed again. He put his head in the space between her shoulder and neck and closed his eyes. More thunder struck the night sky. He tightened his grip around Kelen. "It's okay," he told her, "it's just sound." Her breathing finally slowed and she was peaceful. When more thunder struck, and Kelen didn't stir, he fell asleep.  
  
The next morning, Raph woke up with Kelen in his arms. He loved that feeling. He glanced at the clock and realized he had slept late. He knew he'd have to go home soon, the storm had stopped. He kissed Kelen and silently got up and left the room. When he got in the kitchen, only Leo was there. "We goin' soon?" he asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Leo looked at the clock. "We'll be here for about two more days," he said and then went back to his paper. "Huh?" Raph mumbled, giving him a look. "Splinter went on another retreat and he's leaving us all here," Leo told him. They didn't speak. Raph gulped down his coffee and Leo flipped the page on his paper. Then Leo broke the silence. "How's Kelen?" he asked. Raph had almost forgotten about last night. He shrugged, "Okay, I guess," he said. "How's her head?" Leo asked. Raph had forgotten about that. "I dunno," he said. Leo rolled his eyes. He had been worried about her all night. The girl he had seen was not Kelen. It was a girl he'd never seen or known before. Something about her made him want to make everything right and make him slap her at the same time. He had gone to check on her, but she wasn't in her room. He sort of figured she would be with Raph.  
  
Just then, Kelen came in rubbing her head. She stopped when she noticed them. She had figured they would have left. But she was glad to see them both. "What are you still doing here?" she asked with a smile. "Splinter's on a retreat, we're moving in for a couple days," Raph told her kissing her lips gently. "How's your head?" Leo asked. She felt a bump on the back of her head the size of a grapefruit. She looked at the ground for a moment. "Ouch," was the only word she said. Leo walked over and gently examined the bump. "Yeah, I'd say that's a good description," he said. Kelen laughed. Leo looked at Raph and could tell he was doing all he could to keep from pounding him into the ground. Kelen left and went to her own room upstairs. Raph clenched his fists at his side. "Lay off of Kelen," he said slowly. Leo put his hands up. "Raphael, I promise I don't have feelings for Kelen that way. She's all yours," he told him. The anger seemed to die down a little, but not a lot. Raph walked over to the couch in the step up living room and turned on the TV. Kelen came back into the kitchen. She was dressed in loose gray caprice and a black tank top. "Do you ever run?" Leo asked her. Kelen said, "Yeah, sometimes. Why?" Leo responded, "Because I was just about to go running and I'd like to talk to you. Why don't you come with me?" She knew she couldn't say no. "Sure," she said. And he led her out the door.  
  
They jogged through back alleys and other shaded areas. After an hour, the only sound that had been heard was Kelen's shoes against the concrete. Leo stopped in an alleyway. Kelen did too. "What?" she asked. "Kelen, I really think you need to tell me what's going on. I understand you don't want too, but you really need help," he told her calmly. "Leo, it isn't that I don't want to tell you," she was uncomfortable saying even this much and Leo sensed it, "but if I do, he'll kill me and you too. I can't do that." she was trying to make him understand, but he couldn't. "Who will kill you?" Leo asked. He couldn't believe that someone could ever kill her. "If I tell you, he'll get me," Kelen said in a voice that didn't belong to her. "Can't you tell someone though?" She shook her head. "Not even Lauren?" he asked. She shook her head again. "What about your brother?" he persisted. Her answer was the same. "Well what about your father?" he asked. Kelen's faced turned white. A look of terror and fear grew behind her eyes. Kelen shook her head slowly. Just at mentioning the word, she had grown stiff and quiet. Leo realized her sudden switch in color. "Kelen, what does this have to do with your father?" he asked her. His voice was cold. She shook her head. "Is he the one who's going to kill you?" Leo asked. Kelen stood there. After a while she shook her head. But Leo knew she was lying.  
  
He wanted to scream. Family was supposed to be the people you can trust. When they turn they're back on you, who can you trust? And her own father? He looked over at her. She was motionless. "Kelen what did he do to you?" he asked. She didn't respond. He looked into her eyes, but nothing was there. Kelen was fixed in a trance.  
  
(Flashback)  
  
Kelen sat on her brother's bed. She looked around his room. She used to love being in here, but now it was ghostly. She left his room and went to her own. She laid back on her bed and fell asleep. A few hours later, Kelen's door opened. A shadowy figure, much taller than her older brother, Trent, stood in the doorway. Her father walked in. "What are you doing here?" she asked, hoping it was for a different reason than she thought. "I'm here to make sure you don't tell anyone else," he said, pulling a knife from his pocket. Kelen screamed. He locked her door. He pulled her from her bed onto the floor. He drew his knife up. Kelen flinched and raised her arms over her head. But the knife never came. He couldn't kill his daughter. Instead he sliced her side. "Next time I won't stop," he said. "I know everywhere you go, what you do, when you sleep and wake up. Next time you tell, I'll know, and I'll kill you," Kelen didn't scream this time. She couldn't feel the pain. She looked down at her side, the blood was real. She closed her eyes tight. But when she opened them, she wasn't in her room.  
  
(End Flashback)  
  
Leo was gently slapping the side of Kelen's face trying to get her to come to. That wasn't working. He took her face in both hands and said her name over and over. Finally her eyes closed and opened again. Kelen looked around. "Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded. "Come on, I need to get you home," he told her. She leaned on his arm for support. Her legs felt like they would collapse any second. He turned and led her out of the alley, failing to notice the shadow that had followed them there. 


	4. Clues

When Kelen and Leo got home, Kelen had managed to keep her balance and her normal color had returned. She and Leo entered the kitchen where Raphael was. "Hi," Kelen said. Raph just looked at her, barely acknowledging her presence. Leo sighed, he could be so rude sometimes. But then when he looked at Raph, he saw not rudeness, but jealousy. "We're having practice in the bonus room," Leo announced. He heard Mike and Don get up from the other room. They all headed upstairs, but Raph stayed in the kitchen. "What?" Kelen asked. "Nothing," he growled. Then he got up and left. "How mad is he at me?" Kelen asked Lauren as she entered the room.. "How mad do you consider silence?" Lauren asked back. Kelen moaned. Why was he mad at her? That was the last thing she wanted. She decided to take a shower and get changed. She would have to ask him later.  
  
In the bonus room, Leo and Raph were sparring. Raph was full of anger for Leo and was almost beating him. "What is wrong with you?" he asked Raph, blocking a kick. "You," Raph answered attempting another kick to his stomach. "What?" Leo asked him. "I don't want you spending so much time with Kelen. She's mine Leo! So lay off!" he demanded. "I'm not trying to take her away from you," Leo shot back, "I'm trying to help her." Raph narrowed his eyes, "With what?" "You can't be serious; you saw the way she acted last night. She was out of control!" Leo told him surprised. Raph had noticed it, but had tried hard to forget. He didn't want anything in Kelen's life to be wrong. He didn't know how to help her. All he could do was hold her. Raph and Leo continued sparring for some time. Then Leo cut practice short.  
  
When Raph got downstairs, he saw Kelen playing basketball in the backyard. He decided this wasn't such a great sign since this is how she burned off her anger and went out back. He stood next to the court. Kelen was unaware of his presence. "You better save some of that energy for the game tomorrow," Raph told her, leaning against their side gate. Kelen turned to face the voice. She smiled when she saw Raph. "Are you speaking to me now?" she asked. He nodded and went over to her. "Can we talk for a minute?" he asked. "Sure," she said. She put the ball down and went over and sat on the brick wall lining the court. He sat down next to her. He was about to say something but she beat him to it. "Before you start let me clear something up. Yes, something is wrong. No, I'm not going to tell you or anyone else. And no, I don't have a crush on Leo, all we did was go running and I think you overreacted," she told him very bluntly. He was left with nothing to say. "Okay," he told her for lack of words. Then he thought of something. "Kel is there anything I can do to help you with the thing you're not going to tell me about?" he asked her. She gave a soft laugh. "Just do what you're doing now," she told him. "What's that?" he asked. She shrugged. "Just be there for me," she told him. She went to give him a short kiss, but he took her waist and made it longer and deeper. She pulled back very quickly. He looked a little hurt and confused. But she smiled and reassured him that she just wasn't in the mood. She turned to walk inside. Sometimes she didn't like how physical he was with her. This was the first serious relationship she had since her dad left. She kind of had a phobia about men for a while after that. But sometimes she had a hard time telling him no. She took the back door into the dining room, expecting to see a set table. But it was empty. "Hey duddette, we're going out for pizza! You wanna come?" Mike asked. She smiled at him. "I wish I could, but I have a game tomorrow and I need to go to sleep early," she told him. He pouted a little. "Please?" he begged. She shook her head. "Sorry Mike," she said. He sighed. "Fine," he said. But then he picked her up and dragged her into the kitchen. She shrieked and laughed. "I see you've decided to come, how nice," Mike said. "I can't go!" she told him in between laughs. When they got in the kitchen everyone was in there, including Raph. "Uh-oh," Mikey said, putting Kelen down. Raph started to open his mouth, but Kelen shot him a look that everyone saw and he cooled off. "Wow," Mikey said amazed. "She's got powers," he announced. Then he got down on the floor and started hailing her. Everyone laughed except Raph, who just rolled his eyes. Then they all went to pile in the car. She went up and kissed Raphael, "Have fun," she said. Then went upstairs to her room and closed the door. Raph got an idea and ran ahead to tell them he was going to stay home.  
  
Kelen had been watching TV for about an hour. Lauren had already called to say they were going to the movies and wouldn't be home until late. Kelen was enjoying the night to herself. Having four guys around wasn't always the easiest thing. She was surprised to hear a knock on the door. She got up and opened her door. When she saw Raph leaning against the doorway, she shut it so he could only see her face and middle. She didn't feel comfortable having him in there. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Nice to see you too," he said sarcastically. "Sorry," she said, "I thought you were at the movies." He nodded. "I didn't go," he said. "Can I come in?" he asked, pushing open her door. She couldn't very well tell him no. "I've never seen your room before," he said, examining the queen size mattress on her floor. She didn't like sleeping high up. She had one of those net things hung from the ceiling. "What are you watching?" he asked, gesturing to the TV. She shrugged. "Whatever happens to be on," she said. "Then turn it off," he said. Instead she muted it and sat on her bed. He sat down very close next to her. "What's up?" she asked, sensing where this was going. He leaned in close and kissed her aggressively. For the second time that day, she pulled back. "Raph, I have a big game tomorrow, maybe some other time," she told him. He didn't listen. Instead he leaned in and kissed her again. She didn't fight him this time and let him kiss her. She wouldn't let it get too far. But Raph had other plans in mind. He ran his hand along her body and reached down for the button on her pants. She practically pushed him away. "Raph! How many times do I have to tell you to I don't want to have sex!" she yelled. This was not the response he was hoping for. "Jesus Kelen! You'd think I was trying to hurt you!" he yelled back. She got up and walked a little ways away from him. "Raph, I've told you, I'm not ready to do that yet," she was trying to calm down a bit. But this just made Raph angrier. "You say that every time!" he yelled walking over to her. She didn't respond. She didn't know what to say. Without thinking, Raph shoved her, hard. She fell to the ground and flinched in pain. Raph stared at her. What had he just done? In a second he was on his knees beside her. He held her around the waist. "I'm so sorry…Kelen please forgive me," he whispered. But she didn't respond. Raph stood her up and held her close. Still she just stood there. She could sense all the regret coming from Raph. 'He made a mistake. He didn't think.' She could tell how sorry he was. She really wasn't surprised either. In fact, she was kind of used to it. And knowing that he was sorry instead wanting to kill her like other experiences she had had, made her feel a little better. She reached up and put her arms around his neck. He pulled her a little closer. They just stood like that for a little while. Then he kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry," he whispered. She didn't say anything. 'How could I be so stupid?' "Kelen, please forgive me," he begged. She shrugged. He wanted to punch something. Had he just lost her? She pulled apart from him; he could tell she wanted to cry. "Raph," she needed to tell him something, "a while ago there was this guy." "A guy," he repeated. "Yeah, and he, well he really abused me. It scared me," she decided that wasn't lying, and she still hadn't told him the whole story. He held her again. "I would never try to do that. I'm so sorry," he told her again. As furious as she was, she couldn't stay mad forever. "I forgive you, but don't ever, ever let it happen again," she warned. He kissed her. "I won't," he said. She knew he meant it. "Can I make it up to you?" he asked. She had never seen him so sorry about anything. "We'll see," she said. "If I go try to sleep now, I'm still going to feel really bad," he told her. "You can stay in here for a while if you promise not to try anything," she said. "I promise," he agreed. She un-muted the TV, and they both sat down on her bed and watched what was on. After a while, Raph went to say something, but he looked down and saw Kelen was asleep. He gently woke her up. "You want me to leave?" he asked. She shook her head no. Then she got up and went into the bathroom. She came out ten minutes later in pajamas. She turned off the TV and lights. She got in bed next to Raph. He turned over and held her. He was warm against her body and she fell asleep easily. Raph watched her sleep for a while. She was so beautiful. He felt so bad. Then her words rang through his head. "This other guy…he abused me," she had said. But Kelen had told him that she hadn't had a relationship for a while. Since she was like, twelve. What other guy was talking about? 


	5. The Truth

Kelen awoke very early the next morning. 2:30 to be exact. Raph still had her under his arm. She wondered why she had wakened so early. Usually it was because something was wrong. She listened to the silence but was unable to detect anything out of the ordinary. She still couldn't shake the nervous feeling though, so she slipped out from under Raphael's arm and got up. There wasn't a trace of sleep in her body. She quietly opened her door and left her room.  
  
First she went to Lauren's room. Her TV was on so Kelen walked in carefully and turned it off. She looked over to find Donny asleep with her. She smiled slightly. It was good to see them both so happy. Next she moved to Mikey's room. She opened his door a crack and peeked in. He was talking in his sleep. She pushed away the urge to laugh. When he suddenly tossed over, almost falling off the bed, she had to close his door to keep from laughing. She took a deep breath to calm herself and walked over to Leo's room. Thankfully his door was open. His hearing was impeccable and she knew he would have heard her. She looked in at him. He was sleeping peacefully. She couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. She was making her way back to her room, when she was struck with a strong feeling of nervousness. She quickly recognized the feeling, having felt it so many times with her father, and broke into a run.  
  
She burst her door open and Raphael woke up. She quickly scanned the room. There was a note stuck to the wall by her closet, held with a knife. "What?" Raphael asked. He followed her stare to the note. She walked over and pulled the knife out of the wall. She unfolded the note and read across the letters. 'You're saying too much. Say anymore and this knife won't be in your wall next time. It'll be in you, and you can bet there are more for your friends.' Raphael was behind her and read the note as well. He was filled with anger and confusion. A sick feeling flushed through Kelen's body as she recognized her father's handwriting. She covered her mouth and swallowed hard to keep from throwing up. Raphael took the knife and note from Kelen. He walked out of the room and pounded on everyone's door. They followed him into Kelen's room. She was sitting in the middle of the room cross legged with her head in her hands. Raph tried hard to bury his anger, but it was obvious in his voice. "What is this and who wrote it?" he demanded. Leo took the note from him and read it out loud. Everyone stared in shock at Kelen when he was finished. Mikey walked over to her and stood her up only to have her collapse in his arms. Kelen wasn't with them. She had removed her mind from the situation. They could tell right away that she had trained herself to do this long ago. Raph took Kelen from Mikey. He picked her up in both arms, holding her close to his body. She remained completely removed.  
  
(Flashback)  
  
Kelen was fourteen. She was living with her brother and Lauren's family. She had just started picking up the pieces of her life last year. She and Lauren had been at a school dance until 10:00 and at 11 they were both beat. Lauren had fallen asleep on the couch and Kelen was alone in the room they shared. She had a familiar feeling that something just wasn't right. She knew what was coming, or more, who was coming. She started to mentally prepare for herself for the pain about to take place. All at once, her window opened. A man covered in shadows climbed into her room. Kelen knew him all too well. He had been coming at least twice a week. Without saying a word, he undid his pants and climbed on top of Kelen. He ripped open her nightshirt to put new scars on her body. Kelen at once removed herself mentally from this. She didn't want to remember it. She tried to drift up to the happiness of elsewhere. She imagined being at the beach with her friends, she revisited the dance she had just come from; she tried to picture herself falling into a painting of liquid she had once seen. Just falling into the cool clear, liquid and becoming a part of its being. Finally, it was over, but she remained in the back of her mind, trying to pull out all the good from her life. When he was done, he slapped her across the face, his rude awakening for her. He left a red hand print on her face to warn her and remind her of the consequences she would face if she told. Then her father was gone. She climbed up from her bed and got in the shower. She washed herself over and over again. She knew she was clean, but couldn't get rid of the disgusted feeling inside. She gently touched herself with a washcloth. There was blood. She hurt so badly but didn't dare tell anyone. He might get Lauren. He might get her sister, Lindsay. She couldn't hurt them. Not after how they had helped her. Josh knew though. She didn't have to say anything to him and he knew. She had discovered his sources one night and hadn't spoken to him for months. He had suspected something and placed a video camera on top of one of her shelves. She had found it once and knew he had watched it. As much as she hated what her father was doing, she hated it more that someone else had watched him do it. She had silently pleaded for him not to tell, and he had agreed. When Josh was never killed "by accident," she knew he hadn't told. And she promised herself she would never tell either, no matter what the cost.  
  
Kelen dragged herself away from her past and went over what had just happened over and over again in her mind. She thought that her father hadn't found her when she moved to New York. How did he know? Who told? She couldn't get away with lying anymore. She knew she would have to tell. She hoped they were strong enough to defend themselves against the strongest person she knew. Kelen was suddenly aware of a growing pressure around her arm.  
  
(End Flashback)  
  
She pulled her wrist away from Donny. She was back. Everyone let out their breath. Raph ran his hand over Kelen's hair. She looked into his eyes. Raph saw pure terror poring from them. "Kelen," Leo said gently, "you have to tell us now. You don't have a choice. You're putting yourself and the rest of us in danger by keeping your secret." Kelen nodded. She looked over at Lauren. "Why haven't you ever told me your dad is trying to kill you still?" Lauren asked, tears forming in her eyes. Lauren had recognized the handwriting also. She knew the way they were written. Kelen had gotten them from the time for some time after her father left.. Everyone suddenly directed their attention to Lauren. "What?" Raph asked in disbelief. He turned to Lauren, then Kelen, then Lauren again, wondering who was going to talk first. Kelen did. "He said if I tell, he'll kill me. And I know he means it," she said, "It also means he'll kill you too." Everyone glanced at each other. The guys decided they could face off with one dangerous man. They'd done it before. Leo nodded. "Kelen, whenever your ready," he said. Kelen got up out of Raph's arms and seated herself next to him. A circle was formed as she began. "After my mom died, my dad started telling me it was my fault. He blamed me for the death of my mother and grandpa. He was angry and took it out on me," Kelen couldn't believe how easily the words flowed from her mouth, like they had been waiting to come out all these years. "What did he do?" Mikey asked worried. "He beat me," Kelen said quietly. Everyone including Lauren was a little taken back, but tried not to show it. "He did it until I was ten. He said if I told he'd kill me and the person I told. Then he left one night and never came back. I finally got up the strength to tell my brother. He told me it was okay and he'd protect me. He said my dad wasn't coming back and couldn't get me anymore. The next day he was killed by a hit and run driver. The day after I got a not saying 'You told.' I didn't tell anyone ever again." Kelen tried to blink back the angry tears that came with the death of her brother and the pain that had been caused. She knew this was all her fault because no one had ever told her it wasn't. And somehow she thought they would have told her it wasn't her fault. But she felt like she had been blinking the tears back all her life, so she let them come. Kelen pulled her legs close to her chest and cried into her knees. Lauren crawled across the circle and held her. She hushed her and told her it would be okay. They all saw for the first time that Lauren felt a sort of motherly instinct over Kelen. They saw that Lauren had taken this role when Kelen had been such a mess earlier in her life. Lauren let Kelen go and told her to go on. Kelen took a shaky breath and continued. "When I was ten, I started to get threat notes from him. My brother and I went to live with Lauren. Her parent's tried to adopt us, but couldn't do it without my father's signature. My dad kept sending me notes saying I wasn't allowed to tell. He'd get me. He'd get Lauren and her family. When I was eleven, the notes stopped coming." Lauren expected the story to stop, as did they all, and they were surprised when she kept going. "One night, Lauren was at a sleepover. I couldn't sleep; it was weird to be by myself. I heard the window open and my father came in. I was scared; I thought he was going to kill me. I'm not sure what's worse anymore, killing me…or raping me," she said bluntly. This time no one hid their shock, "He started coming twice a week and still beat me and threatened me. Lauren's brother, Josh, he knew. I don't know how, but he did," she lied. Telling them that Josh had watched was too much for her to share. "One day Josh finally convinced Lauren's parents to let us move in with Lauren's aunt in New York. I haven't heard from him since. This is the first time," she finished. She broke down again.  
  
Raphael scooped her into his arms and gave her an I-get-it-now look. Then he held her close. Everyone came and touched her shoulder or rubbed her back. Now they realized just how dangerous this guy was. They knew it wasn't going to be easy to beat him. But they knew even more, that they couldn't let anything happen to Kelen. 


	6. When threats don't work

Kelen and Lauren sat downstairs in the kitchen. Neither of them were going to get anymore sleep that night. The guys were upstairs trying to decide what to do about Kelen and her dad. Kelen sat in a chair at their countertop with swollen eyes. As good as it felt to finally have it out in the open, Kelen felt exposed and violated. Also terrified to the point of insanity. She felt like her life had just changed and she wasn't sure if the feeling was good or bad.  
  
Lauren placed a cup of hot chocolate in front of Kelen. It was their depression food. Next to it, she put an entire bag of marshmallows. Lauren took the chair next to her and sipped at her own cup of hot chocolate. There was an uncomfortable silence between them. Lauren twirled the cup around on the counter, it made an annoying sound which Lauren seemed oblivious to. Kelen picked up a marshmallow and tossed it into Lauren's cup. Lauren stopped and looked at it. Then she looked at Kelen. She was smiling through her tears. Lauren reached over and gave Kelen a hug. "I'm really sorry," Kelen told her. Lauren nodded. "I know. It's okay. I think I get why you didn't tell. But I'm really worried about you. There's more pain in you than I knew. And you really surprised us all tonight with this horrible thing that's happened and then you looked ashamed of it. I would be too, but I mean, it's not like it was your fault or anything," Lauren said, scrambling for words. Kelen's head snapped up and her eyes grew large. "What?" Lauren asked, wondering what had triggered this emotional outburst.  
  
Before she could gather her thoughts, footsteps were heard coming down the stairs. All the guys walked into the kitchen, completely uncomfortable. They didn't know what to say to her anymore and were at a loss for words. Kelen sensed this. She got up and walked over to the garage. It had carpet on the floor and was completely furnished, including drywall. They parked their car in the driveway. She entered the room and turned on the light. Then she walked over to the couch and sank into it in a deep state of depression and fear. Lauren could deal with them first. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want them to say they were leaving. She didn't want Raph to break up with her. She didn't want them to walk out of her life just like everyone else she had ever cared about. When she heard approaching footsteps, she got up and locked the door. Then she returned to the couch and threw herself back onto it. She watched the doorknob try to turn a few times. Then someone knocked. Kelen didn't answer. "Kelen," Donny said, "can you let us in?" Kelen shook her head as if they would hear it. "Kel?" Donny said again. She took a blanket off the back of the couch and covered herself with it. She heard a sigh come from the other side of the door. Then she heard rattling noises come from the doorknob. 'Oh, right, they're ninjas. They pick locks. Great,' she thought. Just then the doorknob turned and the door swung open. "Hi!" said Mikey cheerfully, trying to break the mood. The corners of Kelen's mouth twitched and she pulled the blanket above her head. 'Here it comes,' she thought. "Kelen, we'd really like to talk to you," Leo told her. Kelen uncovered her head. "I know!" she shouted, "You're leaving, right? This is too much to handle and you don't understand it so you're going to leave! It's happened before, so just leave already and spare me the drama!" They all were a bit taken back by Kelen's harsh tone and it took a while before her words sank in. "That's what you think?" Raph asked, "In case ya haven't noticed, we haven't done that yet and we've been through a lot of shit together. We just wanna ask you a couple questions about your dad, okay?" Kelen was shocked. They weren't leaving? Kelen had to smile. She even gave a short laugh. "Guess you're kind of used to people walking out on you, huh?" Mikey asked. Kelen nodded, still smiling. Raph sat down next to her and she crawled into his lap. "We're not going anywhere," he told her. She nodded again. "Is it okay if I just clear my head for a couple minutes?" she asked them. "Of course," Leo said. He motioned for Raph to leave but Lauren just shook her head at him. "Just let them be together for a little while, alone," she instructed. Then they all exited the room and left Raph and Kelen to themselves. After she was sure they were gone, Kelen looked up at Raph. "Hi," she said. "Hey," he said back. She adjusted positions in his lap so she was facing him. "Are you mad at me?" she asked worriedly. "I was about to ask you the same thing," he told her. "I'm not mad at you, there's no reason to be," she said a little confused. "I hurt you because you wouldn't sleep with me," he reminded her. She shrugged. "You didn't hurt me, you didn't rape me, and you apologized. I think that gives you a clean slate," she said. He took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm not mad at you either," there was a long silence, "What now?" he asked. "I don't know, what now?" she asked him back. "I don't want this to end, ya know, us, just because your dad's an asshole," he told her. "Me neither," she said, "So I won't let it." He smiled. He leaned in to kiss her, but then hesitated and changed his mind. "Why didn't you kiss me?" she asked. "I wasn't sure you wanted me too," he said. "That's never stopped you before," she told him. He realized what she meant. She didn't want things between them to change now that he knew. He leaned in and kissed her. A few moments later she pulled back. Raph suddenly realized something. He was falling in love with her. He didn't just think she was a beautiful, sweet person who he got to kiss anymore. He was falling in love with her. He wanted to tell her, but didn't know how. So he didn't say anything. He pulled her closer and laid her back into his arms. "Man…" he said quietly. "What?" she asked. He shrugged. "Sometimes I just don't know what to do or say and all I can do is hold you," he said. "I like it like that," she told him, "I wouldn't trade it for anything." He bent over and kissed her again. She turned her head to look at the clock. 5:00 a.m. "Let's go," she said. Raph let her down and followed her into the living room.  
  
As soon as she entered Lauren said, "Please don't hate me." Kelen looked confused. "What did you do?" she asked. Lauren shut her eyes tight. "I called your brother," she said. "You did WHAT?" Kelen exploded. "Calm down. If he's your brother, he'll understand, trust me," Leo said. Lauren held out the phone. "He's on the phone?" she whispered. Lauren nodded. Kelen took the phone. "Hi," she said into it. "Hi, what did you do?" came the voice from the other end.  
  
"I told"  
  
"You told what?"  
  
Oh, right, she hadn't told him yet. Kelen quickly told him the story, leaving out certain details.  
  
"WHAT?" he exploded. Kelen had to pull the phone away from her ear. Everyone heard him scream. Kelen set the phone down on the coffee table. She counted to ten then picked it back up; her brother had been talking the whole time.  
  
"Sorry," she said. He calmed down a little with her apology.  
  
"I need to get you out of there"  
  
"No, if you come here I'll run away"  
  
"Then come see me"  
  
"Can't. He might come"  
  
"Then I'm coming"  
  
"I'll scream"  
  
"Be my guest." Kelen screamed.  
  
"Please hold" she said and put the phone on hold. "Why did you scream?" Mikey asked. Kelen shrugged. "He wants to come here," she said. Leo realized this would mean he would find out about them since they were protecting her. But he felt a brotherly instinct that he often had and knew her brother had the same one. He knew he was worried about her. Leo sighed "Let him come." Kelen looked a little surprised. "Trust me," he said. She picked the phone up.  
  
"Alright come"  
  
"Just like that"  
  
"Yeah, but I'm telling you, you're going to be very surprised when you get here"  
  
"Okay"  
  
"Alright, bye"  
  
"I'll be there as soon as I can"  
  
"Bye"  
  
"I have your address ad number"  
  
"Bye"  
  
"Okay, okay, bye"  
  
"Like I said, bye!" Kelen hung up the phone. She lightly rubbed her forehead. Then she thought of something. "I have a very important game today," she said. "Are you going?" Lauren asked.  
  
"Yep. You get to explain the guys and deal with my ever loving brother," she said. Lauren shrugged, "Okay." Kelen started to walk away, but turned around. "He said he'd be here tomorrow, which means today, and he's probably bringing his life and staying for a month," she said this to no one in particular. Leo looked at her intently. "What?" Kelen asked. "You look exhausted, you're mad and terrified but you're not showing it, and you don't want you're brother here," Leo said, "and I don't want you going to that game." Kelen looked at him in shock. "Then you don't want me to go, but that doesn't stop me," she told him. Everyone's jaw dropped as Kelen said this to Leo. He remained calm though. "Kelen, I know you want to play, but it's too dangerous. None of us can go with you without being seen. I'd be worried about you the whole time. I'm not letting you go," he told her. Kelen gave a short laugh. "You have no idea how important this game is to me!" she yelled. "And you have no idea how important you are to us," he told her. She tried to be mad, but couldn't. Instead she picked up the phone and dialed some numbers. "Hey, coach... Yeah, I know it's early. I can't make it to the game today… I'm sorry, but my brother is coming into town… Yeah….family crisis…Thanks, bye," she hung up. Kelen just stood there for a minute. "Thank you," Leo said. Kelen nodded and sat down right where she was. "I'm really scared of what he's going to do me," Kelen said, bringing up the current crisis. "I know," Leo said. Kelen brushed a lone tear off her cheek. "No you don't," she said. "You're right, I don't," he told her honestly. "My brother hates me," she said. It was like this new confidence and trust she had in them that made her tell them all her fears. "What?" Donny asked. "He hates me, he told me so," she repeated. Her voice turned into a single tone of words that had no emotion in her. "I guess that's my fault too," she said in monotone. All at once she started crying and flopped backwards onto the floor. Leo came over and pulled her up. "You have to get a hold of yourself," he said. Kelen tried to slow her breathing and took a few deep breaths. "I have no idea what's wrong with me," she said shakily. "Your exhausted and this whole thing is surprising you," Donny told her, "You should go back to sleep for a little while." Kelen decided that sounded like a good idea. "I'm so sorry guys, I have no right to put you through this," she apologized. "You have the right to do anything after what you've been through, in fact, you're taking this much better than I could," Leo said reassuringly. Kelen gave him a quick hug and headed upstairs. Raphael followed her.  
  
Kelen shut her blinds to bock out the morning light that was trying to get in. She relaxed herself on her bed but couldn't close her eyes. She was too afraid. Raph knocked on the door and came in. "How ya doing?" he asked. "Been better," she said. He came over and sat next to her. "Try to sleep," he said. She shook her head. "I'll be right here, nothing is going to happen," he tried to comfort her. "Will you stay with me?" she asked. He nodded. She pulled on his hands and he lay down next to her. She found her way into his arms and he held her. "Close your eyes," he told her. She sat up a little and kissed him. Then she laid back down in his arms. He felt a strong feeling for her right then and knew he had to tell her. He wanted to know if she felt it too. "Hey Kel?" he asked. "Hmmm?" she responded. "I need to tell you something but it might freak you out," he said. She sat up. "What is it?" she asked. "I think…" he blushed a little, "I think I'm falling in love with you." He wished he hadn't said it. What if she didn't feel the same way? She looked right into his eyes. "Really?" she asked. "Yeah," he said. She leaned over and kissed him. "I think I am too," she said. He leaned over and kissed her back. His kiss lasted a few moments longer. "Good," he said. Kelen smiled and lay back down in his arms. And for the first time, Raphael felt what it was like to be in love.  
  
At 4:00, Raph woke up. He kissed Kelen lightly and went downstairs. Leo informed him that Splinter was back and they were going home for a couple hours to explain the situation and get everything they would need while they were protecting Kelen. Raph sighed, "Should we bring Kelen?" he asked. "No, let her sleep. She might be up all of tonight," he replied. "Do you really think she'll be alright by herself for a couple hours?" Donny asked. Leo nodded. "We won't be gone long and she'll probably sleep the whole time," he said. Just then the doorbell rang. Lauren popped up from the couch. "I'll bet that's Trent," she said, trying to sound happy. Lauren walked through the living room, game room, and entryway before she reached the door. As soon as it opened, two large Labradors bounded into the house. They jumped on Lauren and licked her face. Despite their size, Trent and Kelen's dogs had always been very friendly. The chocolate Lab was named Rolo, Kelen's favorite candy. They were little chocolate circles filled with caramel. The yellow Lab was partly blind from age and was named Popcorn. Popcorn was still very happy to be there, but not nearly as hyper as Rolo, who Kelen called a puppy at heart. In the doorway stood Kelen's Brother Trent, who looked nothing like Kelen at all. He had strawberry blonde hair and freckles dotting his nose and the upper part of his cheeks. He also had the height in the family. His dull green eyes looked very worried as they searched for Kelen. "She's asleep," Lauren told him. Trent turned his head toward her and smiled weakly. He gave Lauren a kiss on the cheek and pushed past her into the house. "How is she?" he asked. "Okay, I guess," Lauren told him. "How are you?" he asked directing his attention to Lauren. "I'm good," she smiled. "What's this about a surprise?" he asked, patting his dog's head. "Follow me," Lauren said with a sigh. Trent followed her through a few rooms before they entered the living room. Trent stepped in. As soon as it processed his mind that he was looking at four giant turtles, his jaw dropped and he gripped his hand on his dog's collar for support. This didn't help much since as soon as Rolo saw new friends, he wasted no time in jumping up on them and licking their faces and sniffing their feet and legs to find out where they lived. Rolo barked an approval and Mikey squished his face in his hands and talked to him in puppy talk while Raph just rolled his eyes. Leo chuckled a little and then gave Trent his attention. "Hi, I'm Leonardo," he said. "Ummm…hi," Trent said. "You must be Kelen's brother," Leo said. "Yeah, I am. And you guys are?" he asked, very confused. "We're friends of Kelen's," Donny replied. "Don't forget boyfriend, dude," Mikey added, pointing to Raph with a grin. "Alrighty then," Trent said, more confused than ever. Donny motioned for him to take a seat and went over the mutagen story in complete detail. When he was finished, Trent was smiling. He was studying chemistry in college and this all fascinated him. "That's incredible," he said, obviously impressed, "When did you meet Kelen?" he asked. "About eight months ago," Donny told him. Trent nodded. He quickly backtracked over the events and found the one he was looking for. "Did you say one of you is Kelen's boyfriend?" he questioned. Raph suddenly realized Trent might not accept this, but took his chances. "Yeah, I'm Raphael," he said. Trent nodded again. "Cool," he said, "Hope you're taking good care of her." They all looked surprised at how easily Trent had accepted this. "Geez, Trent, she's not a dog, she can take care of herself. By the way, if you're living by yourself, do you eat frozen waffles and rice every night?" Lauren asked him, remembering his lack in cooking. Trent just smiled and hooked his ankle across his leg. "I'll tell," he said too sweetly. "Shutting up! By the way, you look good," Lauren quickly said. Donny looked at her and asked, "Tell what?" She quickly replied, "Nothing," and kissed his cheek. "Is he your boyfriend?" Trent asked. Lauren nodded. "So, you have a boyfriend?" Trent asked again. Lauren nodded again. Trent burst up laughing with the thought that Lauren had a boyfriend since she rarely ever did. Lauren tackled him to the ground in a split second. They realized she was just as much his sister as Kelen was. Leo was actually anxious to watch Kelen play little sister for a while. "You win!" Trent gasped hoarsely as Lauren got him in a headlock. "When did you learn to do that?" Trent asked, rubbing his neck. "I grew up with two brothers, a sister, you, and Kelen. It wasn't a learning thing, it was survival," she informed him. They all smiled at Lauren who they knew was much stronger than she came off as. "Look, we were just about to head home. We'll be back in a couple hours. We need to get a few things and explain things to our sensei. Why don't you come along and meet him?" Donny offered. Trent agreed. Lauren asked if she could come too and they let her. Raph quickly went to the kitchen and scrawled out a note for Kelen. Then he softly moved upstairs to her room and put it on her nightstand. He lightly kissed her lips and then walked out to the car.  
  
Kelen awoke just forty-five minutes after they left. She got a little freaked out when she saw a note on her nightstand, but realized it was Raph. It read: Hey Kel, we went home to get some stuff and give Splinter the update. Call if you need something. We took Lauren and your brother (who by the way is here.) We'll be back soon.-Raph.  
  
She was terrified at the thought of being alone. But that fear multiplied when she heard someone downstairs in the kitchen. She grabbed her phone and quickly dialed the numbers. Donny answered. "Hello?"  
  
"Donny it's me."  
  
"Hey Kelen, you up?"  
  
"Someone is in the house."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Someone's in the house! I hear them in the kitchen. I'm really scared please come home now."  
  
"We'll be right over. Don't panic. Just lock your door and sit tight for a couple minutes."  
  
"Okay, hurry!"  
  
The phone clicked off. Kelen tried to calm herself and got up to lock the door. She walked briskly over to the door and the clicked the lock in. It didn't stay. She tried it a few more times before she realized that the reason it wasn't locking, was because someone was turning the knob on the other side.  
  
*Please review. Ideas and comments are always welcome. I'll give them a good home. 


	7. Knowing What You Knew

Raph was almost an entire block ahead of everyone else as he tore down back alleys and through the shadows, trying as hard as he could to get to Kelen before anything could happen. He silently pleaded for her to be okay. To be standing at the front door smiling and tell him he had been dreaming. But deep down, in the place he buried everything he didn't want to know, he knew she was not okay. He just knew it. And he knew he was too late and all he could do was pray that that bastard was not cold hearted enough to kill his own daughter. Raph was running purely on rage. Leo started to catch up with him when he got the same feeling Raph had. That something was wrong. Something was awful and Kelen was begging for them to come to her rescue. Raph got to the porch first and threw open the door. He was completely out of breath. But when he took the time to examine the scene around him, he almost stopped breathing all together. Soon after, the others arrived to find Raph staring at the scene in the entryway. Leo thought he looked scared. Only on very few occasions did Leo sense that Raph was scared, and he knew that whatever Raph was looking at, was something that would be forever drilled into his memory. As they all approached the door, each of them gasped and stared, their feet simply wouldn't move. Lauren raised her hand slowly to her mouth. Partly to keep from throwing up, and partly because she realized something more terrible had happened to Kelen than they had imagined. No one could believe what they were seeing. Bloody handprints covered the wall and smeared across the floor. The carpet was stained a permanent crimson color in more than one, large, area. Pieces of torn cloth from Kelen's clothes hung from the banister. Screams echoed silently across the walls where Kelen had placed them just minutes ago. And if walls could talk what a story they would have to tell.  
  
Trent found his legs first. Leo closed his eyes. He didn't want to imagine coming home and finding this scene from his brother's blood. He couldn't possibly imagine how terrifying it would be to look around and know you were just minutes off from saving the only family you had. But in a way, Kelen was part of Leo's family too. And the other reason his eyes were closed were so tears wouldn't find their way out. Lauren looked over at Donny. He stood on the line between anger and hysterics. Lauren reached over and touched him. When he looked over at her, he had never seen someone look quite like she had. He took her hand and led her into a place he had never ventured before. He turned and motioned for Mikey to follow, but Mikey's eyes had long since turned liquid and he wasn't sure he could convince Mikey to go look for Kelen. But Mikey followed. Leo gave Raph's shoulder a squeeze. "Come on," he whispered. Raph nodded weakly and he took his eyes off the blood stained glass covering the floor to follow.  
  
Everyone followed Trent's lead up the winding staircase as Lauren quietly directed him to Kelen's room. Trent stood before Kelen's closed door. He ripped off the note that was taped to it. He read it quietly first and then out loud. "She told," he said hoarsely. He turned the knob on her door and opened it swiftly. If it was in anyway possible, Kelen's room looked worse than downstairs. Not one piece of furniture remained standing. The bathroom door was broken through. They could only guess how long Kelen had been locked in there while she realized he was going to kill her. There was a knife stuck in the floor. A piece of cloth was stuck at its point. Raph could see the fight scene unfolding. Kelen had just barely missed the knife. This guy did have the balls to kill his own flesh and blood. So why was there such a scene downstairs? Donny thought this over in his mind. Then he realized why, Kelen had tried to run away. She had gotten all the way downstairs and to the door, but then he had caught her. Leo looked for Trent, hoping to offer a comforting word, but Trent was no longer with the bunch that had gathered in the middle of the room. Almost instinctively, everyone's head turned to face Trent. He was on his knees beside Kelen's bed. He was crying and holding Kelen's hand as she lay helplessly sprawled across her bed. The group slowly moved toward Kelen, who didn't even look like Kelen anymore. Her clothes were in shreds and blood dripped over inch of her once peachy skin. Shards of glass and wood were stuck in her neck and side. Her legs were exposed and covered with new scars. Old ones had been reopened and were bleeding again. Raph walked cautiously over to her bedside and knelt down beside Trent. The only comfort he could offer himself was that Kelen was still breathing and her eyes were open in slits. Her breathing was gradually growing slower though, and he wasn't sure whether or not she knew they were there. He moved up beside her head and sat down on her bed. He cradled her head in his lap. Her eyes opened a little more, she knew he was there. But she was in too much pain to do much more than lie there and breathe. This task alone was growing harder. Raph just told her not to move. Inside, Kelen knew she wasn't okay and it was very likely she was going to die. Kelen wanted to jump up and hug them all and tell them she loved them. She wanted to hold her big brother, who wasn't really as strong as he looked, and apologize for all that she had ever done to him to make him mad or worried about her. But she couldn't. It was frustrating to realize this, but trying was too hard, keeping her eyes open was too hard. So Kelen slowly let them drop and she felt tears splash down upon an open wound on her shoulder. The voices that were being heard around her that once seemed so distinct now had no owner, and the words all blended together in a never ending slur of sound that spun in her head. Soon everything was quiet and peaceful. Her world turned into a calm feeling of serenity. The only thing that came in from the world going on around her was touch. And slowly that feeling faded too. She had the sensation she was being lifted, but thinking even became a blur and her thoughts made no sense. So Kelen entered completely into the world of darkness that beckoned for her to come and promised a long, peaceful rest. Kelen quickly gave in and lost all connection from the outside world.  
  
Raphael carefully picked up Kelen and began to carry her to Lauren's car. Trent kept a steady pace with him for the short length, never once removing his eyes from his baby sister, who was quickly diminishing before his eyes. They had agreed on taking Kelen back to the lair. At a hospital they would have to explain what happened, and they were sure her dad didn't want that. They also couldn't be seen in a hospital unless they were dressed in complete disguises which hid their features from those bright lights. And none of them could bear not knowing what was happening to her…or not saying goodbye if the need should arise. A short ways away, they arrived at the entrance to their home. Raph had sat with her on the ride over and had become very protective. He wasn't taking any chances. He carried her from the car to the sewers, and down all the long tunnels. Trent assisted him in bringing her down the ladder to their home, where they quickly brought her to their "emergency room." Splinter followed the sound of their footsteps into the well lit room where Kelen had been placed on the bed. Donny briskly entered the room and began rummaging around for everything he would need. Mikey was following at his side, deeply worried and scared. Leo helped Donny pry Mike away from the room and escorted him into Mike's bedroom. "I want to stay with Kelen," Mike told him seriously. "Not until Donny gets everything under control. We need to be sure she's stable before we start taking risks," Leo told him with an equal amount of seriousness. Mike agreed only because it was best for Kelen. Splinter stood in the room while Trent quickly went over everything he knew. Splinter gave Donny the little help that he needed and turned back towards Trent. He put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and told him that everything was going to work out. Splinter had faith in his sons. He exited the room with the intent of meditating; but was stopped by a worried face. Lauren sat collapsed at the bottom of the ladder in complete hysterics. Splinter tried to talk to her but she was too upset to hear anything he was saying. So he led her to the kitchen and sat her down in a chair. He made her some herbal tea to calm her nerves. Once she was relatively under control, he asked her if she'd like to talk. She was silent for a moment, but finally spoke. "Kelen has almost always been in control. She's always been there to help me get through whatever I needed. And now she's dying and there isn't anything I can do to help her," she said. Then she started crying again. Splinter touched her shoulder softly. "What you can do, Child, is be there when she awakes," he said. "But what if…" Lauren couldn't finish. "She will wake up, I promise you. But you are her sister, and she needs you there," he told her with complete confidence. Lauren nodded and thanked him. Her sister? 'I guess she is,' Lauren thought, 'I mean, she always kind of has been.' Lauren walked from the kitchen to the room of urgency, where Donny was furiously trying to revive Kelen and make sure he had spotted and cleaned every injury before starting with stitches and other things to help her. Leo stood in the corner and watched everything Donny did, ready to help at any second. Mikey had been allowed back in from continuous pleading, but didn't know what to do once he got in there. So he had pulled up a chair to one side of the room and prayed she would wake up. He talked to her a little and asked her to wake up, not sure whether or not she could hear him. Trent was kneeling next to her and holding her hand. He was her older brother and was trying to protect her from something out of his reach. Donny had already taken blood from him and Trent was willing to give her his heart if she needed it. Then, Lauren spotted Raph. He was off in one corner of the room with his arms crossed looking down at the ground. Lauren walked over to him and gently placed a hand on his arm. He snapped his head up and looked at Lauren, who was trying hard not to give up. "She needs us," she told him. "I don't know what to do," he admitted after a period of silence between them. "Just sit with her," Lauren whispered. Then she walked over and took her own advice. She sat and leaned against Kelen's bed. She closed her eyes and tried to calm down. Donny took a brief moment to touch her shoulder. She appreciated the gesture and smiled weakly. Raph went over and took a seat next to Lauren. He leaned against Kelen's arm. He turned his head and looked at Kelen. She was white as a sheet and looked like death warmed over. He silently told her he loved her and kissed her hand. Then he turned his head back around and just leaned against Kelen's body. "C'mon babe," Mikey said out loud, although he didn't know it, "We're all counting on you. I don't know what we'll do if you don't wake up."  
  
Hours later, well into the early morning, Donny had done everything he could and there was nothing left to do but wait. And waiting was the hardest part. She was covered in stitches, gauze and home-made casts. But she was still Kelen. And the Kelen they knew was a fighter and wasn't giving up that easily. Donny sat by Kelen's bed and looked at her. 'How could someone do this?' he thought. 'How could her own father try to kill her? How could he ruin a life like hers? Hasn't she been through enough?' He exhaled deeply and looked over at Lauren. She was sitting quietly against Kelen's bedside, breathing shakily and trying hard not to let her tears show. She had been crying all night and was exhausted from the ordeal. Everyone, with the exception of Splinter who was meditating, was in the small room. Mike had ended up falling asleep, making everyone promise to wake him if one single little thing should change. Leo sat with his eyes closed in deep thought. Trent had also fallen asleep after Mikey with the same promise. Worrying made you tired. Raph was still sitting sullenly by Kelen, and had refused to leave her side once he had gotten there. "Come here," Donny said quietly to Lauren. She made her way over to him and he cradled her in his arms. "Don't be afraid," he told her, "She's going to be fine." Lauren had complete trust in him, but still wouldn't let herself fall asleep. "You're going to have to sleep sometime," Donny said. Lauren shook her head. She didn't want anything to happen while she was asleep. Donny didn't argue with her. He just held her and waited for her to fall asleep. Finally Lauren's head nodded to one side. He put his head up against hers. Then he was hit with a thought. What if this had happened to Lauren? What would he have done? Man, Raph was good at hiding his feelings. He and Raph had never been close, but since they started dating Kelen and Lauren, they had gotten closer and done more stuff together. Donny gently placed Lauren on the ground with her back against the wall. Then he walked over to the other side of the bed and sat next to Raph. They were both silent a moment. "You really love her, don't you?" Donny asked. Raph looked like he might yell at him, but changed his mind and nodded. Donny smiled. Never would they have guessed that Raph would fall in love. With a human, no less. And they had really never guessed she would love him back. "You love Lauren?" Raph asked. Donny nodded. "You told her?" he asked. Donny blushed a little, but nodded again. Raph nodded, too. After another moment of silence, he asked, "Is Kelen gonna be okay?" Donny sighed and looked Raph straight in the eye. "I hope so. I think so," he told him honestly. Raph thought this over for a while. When he turned back to Donny, he had fallen asleep. 'I guess I would too," Raph thought. He looked over to Leo. His breathing had slowed and was a little slumped over, asleep. Raph was the only one left awake. He shifted positions and looked at Kelen. He took her hand and looked at her. He couldn't have thought she was more beautiful. "God, Kelen," he said to her, "I love you so much. Please wake up. I think I might die without you. I promise to take good care of you. I'll never let that guy hurt again, just please, please wake up." He looked at her for a minute, but nothing happened. Her eyes remained closed and her body was shut down. He let go of her hand and turned back around. He couldn't fall asleep. If something happened, no one would be there. He walked into the kitchen and got himself a cup of coffee. He sat down at the kitchen table for a good half hour just thinking about her and what would happen if she didn't wake up. He looked over to thee small clock in the kitchen. It was 3:30. He had had a rough night last night too when Kelen had told them all what really happened. He gulped down the last of the coffee and returned to Kelen. He stood over her bed looking down at her. He put his hand on her arm but immediately jerked it away from reflex. Her arm was hot. Really hot. He started to feel her arms, neck and face. She was burning with fever. "Donny!" he yelled, waking everyone up. Donny jumped to his feet and went over to him. "What is it?" he asked worriedly. Raph took Donny's hand and put it on her forehead. Donny too pulled it away. "Oh my God," he said. He ran out of the room to get cold water and washcloths. Everyone else was now wide awake and beside Kelen. "She's got a fever," Raph told them without looking up. "Kelen," Mikey said starting to tear up, "Kelen, please wake up now so we can make you better." But Kelen didn't move.  
  
Inside, Kelen was still surrounded by peace. Every once in a while, she heard a voice or felt a hand, but she quickly excused them. She didn't want to come back yet. She was feeling so good and didn't want to give that up. She remembered what had happened and knew if she woke up she was going to feel pain. And she didn't want to feel pain. She was so content where she was. So pushed away all the little things she felt and sunk herself deeper into the calmness and the dark.  
  
Kelen was settling in to the darkness when she was flushed with a hot feeling. She didn't want to have feeling. She tried to dismiss it, but couldn't. It was stronger than her. She tried to fight it back, but it consumed her being. She wanted to scream. She wanted to throw up. She wanted it to go away. But when she heard Mikey's voice so clearly, she almost wanted to cry. He wanted her to come back. They all did. She realized she had been selfish in pushing away all their pleas. But she had sunk into the darkness to deeply to come back. All at once, her body temperature changed drastically. Cool water was covering her. She felt better, but still, she didn't feel right. She realized for her to get better, she had to wake up. Although she loved them all, she knew how much it was going to hurt, and wasn't ready for that. But she had made up her mind. She fought back the peacefulness and pushed away all calm feelings surrounding her. She strained to hear voices and feel things. She stared to remember more clearly what had happened, and knew she was almost there.  
  
Donny sighed and looked at her, unaware of the internal battle she was fighting. "Whatever just happened is probably going to keep her down for another couple of days," he said turning to the group. But they weren't looking at him, they were focused, jaws dropped, on Kelen. Donny turned to find her moving her arms a little, struggling. Then her eyelids fluttered and opened. She groaned and wished she was back in her world of no feeling. But everyone was talking all at once. They were smiling and crying at the same time. Raph was down on one side of her bed, with his placed gently on her shoulder. Her brother was on the other side, holding her hand and kissing her cheek. She managed to squeeze his hand a little. And it was all worth it. 


	8. Facing Me

*Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own the turtles, or Splinter, or April, or anyone else. I do own Kelen, Lauren, and Trent. The poem, Facing Me, is also mine.  
  
After the initial shock wore off of Kelen waking up, hugs and kisses were exchanged. Everyone was glad she was okay, or at least awake. Trent told her what had happened during her thankfully short coma and how they found her. But then it was Kelen's turn. "Kelen, what did your dad do exactly?" Donny questioned. Kelen was silent as she thought how to describe the brutally monstrous scene that had taken place. "Kelen, you can tell us later if you want to get some rest," Leo offered. Kelen shook her head. She really wasn't strong enough to tell them now, her mind kept drifting from past to present. Sometimes she forgot what she was talking about altogether. And when she tried to talk at all, her words were slightly slurred and she would lose her breath. "No Kelen, I think you should. Just get some rest; we'll be in the other room. Call us if you need something," Donny insisted. Then everyone reluctantly left the room with Donny's instruction. Kelen grabbed onto Raph's arm as he tried to leave. "Please don't leave me," she said quietly. As weak as she was, the fear of being alone was evident in her voice. "You'll be fine," Raph said. "We're just in the other room, nothin's gonna happen," he assured her. But she wouldn't let go of his arm. He sighed and decided she would feel better if he stayed, and so would he. "Just let me tell Don," he said. She didn't really want him to leave at all, but let go of his arm.  
  
Raph walked out into the living room where everyone had settled. "Hey Donny," he called walking out, "Kelen's real freaked out about being alone, I'm just gonna sit with her till she falls asleep." Donny eyed him suspiciously. "What?" Raph asked annoyed. "Just let her actually sleep," he said. Raph rolled his eyes and walked back to Kelen. "Well, I'm going to bed," Mikey announced. "Good idea," Leo agreed. "Trent, why don't you sleep in Raph's room if he's going to be with Kelen?" he suggested. "Then I'll go explain things to Master Splinter," Donny offered. But the three of them had already started towards their rooms. Mikey turned and came back though. "Anything changes," he said. "I'll come get you," Don promised. Then Mikey nodded and headed off to bed. "You okay on the couch?" Donny asked Lauren. "Uh-huh," she said yawning. He kissed her. "I'll be right back," he said. She nodded. He went to go tell Splinter and Lauren laid back on the couch.  
  
Donny softly knocked on the door to Splinter's room and entered. He sat quietly in his chair, his eyes closed, deep in thought. "Yes, my son?" he asked. "Kelen woke up. We'll take turns watching her tonight to make sure nothing happens," he said. "That is good. I trust you will take care of her properly?" he half asked. "Yes, Master Splinter," he assured. He nodded. "I will go and check on her soon," he said, "Why don't you get Lauren settled on the couch." Donny bowed. "Yes, Master Splinter," he said. Then he left his Master's room. He went to check on Kelen before he went to bed. "How are you feeling?" he asked entering the room. She groaned weakly. "I figured about much. We'll have April bring you something tomorrow. I don't think a pain killer would hurt too much," he said, examining her wounds. "Anything especially hurt?" he asked her. "Everything," she moaned. Don sighed. Her wounds would heal much quicker if she was asleep and wasn't moving. "I'll check everything again in the morning. Don't even try to walk, though. Getting up would enough to knock you out," he told her firmly. "As long as you're here, I'm gettin' coffee," Raph said, pulling himself from the chair. Once he was gone, Donny sat down on the end of Kelen's bed. "Can he be in here?" Donny whispered gesturing towards the door Raph had gone through. Kelen nodded. "If he does something you don't like, tell him," Donny instructed. He knew that Raph wouldn't understand why Kelen didn't want to be handled too much right now. She nodded again. "Get some sleep," Donny said getting up. On the way back to the living room, he grabbed a blanket for Lauren. He thought of how weird it was to have his girlfriend spending the night on his couch. He walked into the living room where he had left Lauren, but she had already fallen asleep. He walked over to the couch and covered her up to her chin. Then he softly kissed her lips and told her goodnight.  
  
Raph entered Kelen's room and flopped down into the chair beside Kelen's bed. He reached out to touch her arm, but she flinched when he did. "What's wrong, did I hurt ya?" he asked. "No," she said, "I've just been…touched a lot lately." "They were just happy you were awake," Raph said, referring to the group that had just been in there. "That's not what I mean," she said shyly. He thought for a minute. Then it hit him…her father. Her father had touched her. He became furious. "What did he do?" he asked harshly. Kelen was taken back a bit by his tone. He realized it, but couldn't change his tone. He was too mad. "What did he do?" he asked again. Kelen was quiet. She didn't want to share all the terrible details of what her father had done. Not yet, anyway. "Not now," she told him. "Kelen," he said. "Not now," she said again. He realized she wasn't going to say anything right now and gave it up. She reached out for his hand. He took it. "Please try to understand," she pleaded. "I am," he said, "I just…don't." She managed a weak smile. "I know, I don't expect you too," she said. She squeezed his hand and then let go. She turned on her side so she was facing him. "Go to sleep. Don said you should try to get a lot a rest," he instructed. "Promise you won't leave?" she asked. "Promise," he said. She closed her eyes and yawned. He felt a little uneasy about her eyes closing again. 'Just in case,' he thought as an excuse to tell her. "Kel?" he asked. "Hmmm" she responded. "I love you," he said quickly. She opened her eyes. "I love you, too," she told him. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. It felt good to Kelen to hear those words. She didn't get to hear them very often. Raph didn't know what to do next. He sat back down and when he looked over at her, her eyes were closed again. He waited until he was sure she was asleep before he relaxed. Donny came in again. "Why don't you let me keep an eye on her first? I just want to make sure her fever doesn't come back. In the meantime, you should really get some sleep," Donny said this more as a statement than a question. "Just for a couple hours. I promised I wouldn't leave," Raph said. Donny nodded. Raph was going to his room when Donny remembered something. "Raph, Trent's sleeping in your room," he said bluntly. "And Lauren's on the couch. Just sleep in my room for a couple hours," he said. Raph exhaled deeply. He went to Donny's room and tried to sleep, but his mind kept drifting to Kelen.  
  
Donny gently examined a bad slice wound that cut from her shoulder to her chest. Her elbow was fractured and her shin was broken in at least two places. A deeper slice wound was in her upper left thigh. He knew her father could have easily killed her but didn't. He had tortured her and looked like he had raped her. So either her father had a glimmer of fondness for her and couldn't kill her, or he was trying to get to something else first. Like them, perhaps. They knew and could make it known to others what he had done to her. Donny's guess was that he was using Kelen to get to them and then he was going to kill them all, or at least try.  
  
But he needed to examine the wounds thoroughly right now. He couldn't do that while she was awake because she was in a fragile state. She had been raped by her own father and probably didn't have the strength to remove herself mentally from the situation if he had hurt her first. He had made a cast for her elbow and shin, but they weren't permanent and he would probably have to make new ones soon. Kelen struggled in her sleep. Donny wondered she was dreaming about and decided it was best to wake her so she would stop moving. He shook her gently, but she flinched when he touched her and remained asleep. He applied a small amount of pressure to her shoulder, but she shrugged off his hand and struggled more. 'Great," he thought, "She's probably reliving the whole situation." He went to get Raph. He could stay with her now and maybe he could get her to wake up. Donny walked briskly out of the room and shut the door. The door clicked and Kelen groggily opened her eyes. A blurry face stood above her. When it came into focus, she tried to scream, but a hand clasped over her mouth. "Now, staying alone again, are we?" her father asked. Kelen gathered strength and pushed herself off the bed. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the room tilted. It went uphill in some parts and downhill in others. Her head spun and it felt like a huge metal clamp squished all her insides into a tiny ball. She felt her body burn under the strength it took to stand. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she was facing her father. She screamed loudly. She tried to back up, but tripped and fell. She closed her eyes, ready to embrace the pain surely coming, but instead was caught by Raphael.  
  
Her scream had everyone rushed into the room. "What are you doing up?" Donny asked amazed she had been trying to stand. Kelen turned and fell into Raph. He hugged her tightly. "He was here," she whispered. "Who?" Leo asked. "My dad," she responded. "Kelen you just had a bad dream," Trent said. "But I wasn't sleeping," she told them in a whisper. All of a sudden, a crash was heard in the abandoned subway. Raph sat Kelen down on the bed, and they all went to see what it was, not realizing they had again left Kelen alone.  
  
When they exited the car, the bottom rung of the ladder was broken off on one side and swinging. "You think her dad really was here?" Mikey asked. "I'd say that sounds about right," it was a menacing voice coming from the car Kelen was staying in. A heavily built, tall man came from the car. Held by the wrist, he was pulling Kelen with him. And in the other hand he had a cold, steel gun flush against her neck. "Don't move," he growled to everyone. No one moved. He smiled and chuckled. But it was not at all friendly. "Beautiful, isn't she?" he asked no one in particular. He ran his hand down the edge of her body and moved it to the inside of her thigh. Raph felt anger slowly seeping through his body and knew he couldn't ignore it much longer. Not when a man, another man, was touching her like that. Not when she looked so scared.. Kelen looked at the side of her father's face through fearful eyes. He looked much older than she remembered. And she realized she was older too.  
  
Once there were days,  
  
When berries were so much sweeter.  
  
Cherries so much redder,  
  
Watermelon seeds seemed neater.  
  
Days were filled with cowboys.  
  
Imagination.  
  
Things that we were not.  
  
And all these years,  
  
My pain, My tears,  
  
This is what I've sought.  
  
One day she was gone,  
  
And for the first time I was scared.  
  
Days of being a child,  
  
Days filled with smiles,  
  
Seemed to not be there.  
  
You used me,  
  
You abused me,  
  
And now it's time to pay.  
  
Mercy and forgiveness,  
  
Are not standing in my way.  
  
Then I was a child,  
  
But now those days are memories,  
  
Now you're going to have to face,  
  
The woman I've grown to be.  
  
Kelen did something she had longed to do for years. She forced all her pain into her leg and thrust it out in front of her father. She swept his feet out from under him and prayed he wouldn't have time to pull the trigger. He fell to the ground. He shot at her and pierced her shoulder. She stumbled to her knees. But she didn't let that stop her. She kicked the gun out of his hands. It flew up into the air and Kelen caught it with her good arm. She pointed the gun at the man who had been pointing it at her for too long. "Kelen," he said calmly and sweetly, "You don't want to do that. Remember when we would go to the park and I'd push you on the swings. Huh? Remember how I'd always let you have a sip of my coffee in the morning when you were little? How could you do something like this after all those good memories we've shared?" he asked her in a fatherly way. They saw what he was trying to do. They looked at Kelen. Her expression remained cold. "No," she growled. "No I don't remember!" she started yelling. "Wanna know what I do remember? I remember when you blamed me for my mother's death. I remember when you took away all the security I've ever known. I remember when you took control over my body; the one thing I thought was mine! I remember the notes, the pain, and all those years of torture! I remember those. As for the things you did to be my father? As far as I'm concerned, you were never my father in the first place." The barrel of the gun clicked as a bullet was loaded. But her father was up and out at a sprinting pace before she could pull it. Raph immediately went after him. 'Good,' he thought, 'This guy has no idea where he's going.' He followed close at his heels and turned a long corridor he had seen the man enter. But when he turned, there was no one there. Raph was confused. Hadn't he just come down here? He drew a pair of sai from his belt. He took but one step before the man had wrapped him in a headlock from behind. Raph felt the arms tighten around his neck. He went to get free, but had forgotten that the man might still be armed. And this man was. The last thing he felt was a sharp pain in his shoulder before he went black and fell to the ground.  
  
  
  
  
  
The darkness faded. Raph painfully opened his eyes. He was having a hard time remembering what had happened. It was quiet and he was in April's apartment. He strained to open his eyes more and saw Kelen sitting beside him. Her eyes were closed, but tears were streaming down her face. He gently tapped her shoulder. As soon as he did, a shooting pain entered his arm. He remembered. She turned her head sharply toward him. "Oh my God, I'm so glad you're awake," she said through tears. She jumped up and held onto him like he might disappear. He gently rubbed her back with the opposite arm. One of her arms was in a sling and her skin was pale. She had dark circles around her eyes. She looked worried. "Whahpned?" he tried to ask her what had happened, but he wasn't strong enough. "Raph," she said gently. He was hearing fine and could tell by her tone that she didn't have good news. "Raph, I'm leaving." His eyes shot open even more. "What?" he said perfectly. She started crying again. "Raph, I'm going to California. It's too dangerous to be here. But I promise I'll be back," she told him. "When?" he asked, his speech returning at the thought he might lose her. "I don't know," she said. "Raphael, I love you. I always will. No matter what you do you can't make me stop. And I promise I'm not breaking up with you. But I could be gone anywhere from a week to a year. My dad is trying to kill me now more than ever. Until we figure out what to do with him and where to find him, I can't be here. But I'll be back, I promise I'll be back. I couldn't stay away from you long," she told him. He knew she was trying to convince herself as well. He knew she wasn't coming back. He wiped a tear from her cheek. "When are you going?" he asked her. "Now," she whispered. He looked at her bags in the room. "So this is goodbye?" he asked in disbelief. He was having trouble taking this all in. "No, it's see you later," she corrected. "Kelen, I can't let you go. I can't lose you," he felt tears coming but pushed them away. "Raph I'm going now," she said standing. "No. No you're not. You can not leave me," he told her firmly. She reached down and kissed him tenderly. He held onto her hand. She slung a backpack onto her shoulder. She started to back up. He wouldn't let go. "Raph," she said crying, "Please don't make this any harder than already is." He tightened his grip. "Raph," she begged hysterically. "Don't go," he begged her back. She pulled her hand away. He struggled to reach for it and finally got it again. She looked deeply into his eyes. "Goodbye," she whispered. She turned her head away and started to walk out of the room. "See you later," he corrected. She paused, but didn't say anything. He felt her hand slowly slip away and held onto it for as long as he could. Her last finger slid from his grasp. She paused at the doorway, back turned. "Kelen, don't go!" he made a final plea. Trying to ignore him, she slowly walked out of the room, the door closed behind her. "Kelen," he whispered softly, letting his voice trail off. Then he let the tears come.  
  
Kelen walked, crying uncontrollably, into the living room. Lauren was in Donny's arms. She was crying too. Mikey walked over to Kelen. "I'm gonna miss you," he said. She took him in a hug with her one good arm. "I'll be back, you'll see," she promised. She kissed his cheek. He moved away wiping a tear and Leo was behind him. "Raph's up," she said. "I heard," he told her. "I think he hates me," she told him, tears blurring her vision. He hugged her tightly. "Thanks Leo," she whispered. "What for?" he asked. "I don't know. Just, thanks," she told him. "You're welcome," he told her. He kissed her forehead. "Take care of him," she said, meaning Raph. "I will," he promised. "I love him," she said. "I know," he replied. "You have my number and address, if I'm gone for over six months, please come get me," she told him, not giving him a choice. "Okay," he promised. Lauren was still under one of Donny's arms. He took Kelen under the other. "Take care of yourself," he told her. She kissed him and slipped away from his arm. "Come on Lauren, we gotta go," she stated sadly. Lauren went away from Donny and hugged Mike and Leo. "Tell Raph bye for me," she said, knowing if she went in there he'd beg her to make Kelen stay. They nodded. Donny held her tightly and kissed her lips. She wanted to be there forever, in his arms. But she pulled away from him crying. Kelen walked away and opened the front door; April was waiting in the car for them. "Bye Kelen," Mikey said. "Later," she said. She kept reminding herself of it. That she'd see them later. Lauren followed behind her on legs that felt detached from her body. The front shut with a depressing click and the three of them started to cry softly upon hearing it. Leo wiped his eyes, tried to gain control over himself, and went to see Raph.  
  
Raph was laying perfectly still. The room was dark and quiet. "How are you feeling?" he asked. He didn't answer. Leo thought he might be asleep, but he wasn't. "Raph?" he asked again. "She's gone, isn't she?" Raph asked suddenly. Leo sighed and took a deep breath. "Yes Raph," he told him, "She's gone." Raph was silent. "You hungry?" Leo asked. Silence. Leo knew when to leave Raph alone, and this was one of those times. He shook his head and left.  
  
Raph stared up at the ceiling. He studied all the different swirls of plaster and paint. It was around 2:00 a.m. Kelen had been gone for hours now. His brothers had all come in to check on him. The only one he acknowledged though was Donny. Don was more upset than Raph could ever remember seeing him. They had exchanged a couple words and Donny had re- bandaged his arm, and then he had gone. Just then, April walked into the guest bedroom he was staying in. "How are you doing?" she asked him quietly. Again, he didn't say anything. April sat on the end of the bed. "Raph," she said, "Kelen really didn't want to go today. I practically had to push her on the plane." Raph looked over at her. "Then why did she? I mean, if she didn't want to, then why?" he asked. "Because Raph, she's in danger. And by staying here she was putting you in danger. What she really should be worried about is how to avoid her father so she doesn't get killed. What she is worried about is you. She thinks you hate her," April told him. "She does?" he asked surprised. April nodded. "Think about it," she said. Then she left.  
  
Raph thought about it for all of thirty seconds. Ignoring the time and not wondering what time it was in California, he picked up the phone. Leo had left her number and address in here when he had been in. When Raph sat up, the room spun. He didn't care. He quickly punched in the numbers on the slip of paper. He hoped April wouldn't mind a long distance call on her phone bill. The phone rang a couple times. Then a voice picked up the phone. "Hello?" it said yawning. It was Kelen. "Kel?" he asked. There was a long pause. Had he dialed the right number? "Raph?" she asked surprised. "Yeah, hey," he said. "Hi," she said quietly. He guessed she was trying not to wake Lauren. "So, how was the flight?" he asked, not quite remembering why he had called. "It was okay," she said, then there was a pause, "Do you hate me?" she finally asked, very bluntly. He laughed a little. "No," he said, "I don't hate you." He wondered how she could think that. "Okay," she said, sounding relieved. "Are you mad?" she asked him. "Yeah," he said honestly, "but only cause I miss you." She laughed. "I've only been gone for a few hours," she said. He smiled. "Ya, I know," he told her. The uncomfortable silence returned. "Hey Kelen, I was kinda out of it earlier. What happened?" he asked. "Um…" she said slowly, "My asshole of a father shot you in the arm. Then you were asleep for a while. After that, I got a very violent threat note, and my brother got on the phone and then told me I was going to California. I argued, then I packed, I said goodbye to you and your brothers and got on a plane." She said this rather unemotionally and Raph could understand why. He decided he might be like that too if he had been through what she had. "Ya," he responded, "I think I remember some of that." He heard Kelen take a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have put you through this. You shouldn't have to deal with me when I'm like this," she told him, he could hear her crying. "Are you crying, Kel?" he asked. "No," there was a long pause. "Yes," she admitted, "I just want you to hold me." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Me too," he told her. His arms felt very empty. She had always been so strong, and when she broke down one night, he didn't know what to do. But she had a lot of pain inside of her that hadn't been let out for years, and Raph learned how to comfort her eventually. Normally it was by holding her. "Soon," he promised. "Ya, soon," she agreed. He didn't know how soon though, so he asked her. "How far away is soon?" he asked. "Probably six months," she told him. He winced a little. Six months without touching her, holding her, not even seeing her face. He wouldn't be able to kiss her for six more months. He suddenly wished he had said more of a goodbye. "Probably?" he asked. "I told Leo to come get me if I was gone for six months. Knowing my brother, he's going to try and keep me here for as long as possible," she said. "What if he doesn't let you leave?" he asked worriedly. He didn't think he would last much longer then half a year. "He's my brother, not my keeper," she informed him. He laughed softly. "Alright," he said. In the background he heard a door open. Murmurs were heard and Kelen kept saying no. Finally she let out an exasperated groan and said into the phone, "Raph is it alright if I call you back tomorrow?" He really wanted to talk to her now, but knew she couldn't. "Sure babe," he said. He could practically feel her smile. "Bye," she said quietly. "Bye," he responded. He heard the phone click, but didn't hang up until he heard a dial tone. He placed the phone back in its holder and let Kelen's voice linger around in his head. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but couldn't. He was worried about her and was restless. He tried to stand, but that didn't work so well. He flopped back down on the bed. She would call him tomorrow, but she wouldn't be here tomorrow. She wouldn't actually be here for six more months. That was what he really wanted, for her to be here. Eventually his eyelids grew heavy and drifted off to sleep. All he could do was wait. 


	9. Almost Losing

*Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles or Splinter or April, blah, blah, blah. I do own Kelen, Lauren, Josh and Trent.  
  
Note: This is about seven months after Kelen has left. Part 1 is told from Raph's point of view, part 2 is told from Kelen's, then part three from Raph's…you get the idea.  
  
Part One  
  
(Raph's POV)  
  
The thick night air engulfs my being as I walk along the streets of New York. The world is cruel. I hate it. And I hate her. But I love her. I've never felt anything like this. "Six months…" she said. It's been seven. She lied. She says she wants to be here, but maybe that's a lie too. Part of me wants to kill her. Make her feel as terrible as she's making me feel. The other part of me knows she already feels terrible and wants to hold her until there is no more time. God, this is confusing. She's hurting me so badly. Why does she want to do this to me? The logical side of me knows she isn't trying to do this to me, this is just the way it is and she can't help it. I don't care right now. All I need to do right now is get rid of this rage, this burning fury. Why is this happening to me? Why is the person who I love the most being taken away? Does someone up there think this is funny? I've been through enough. I love her, damn it! I love her. And she is hurting so badly from this asshole who likes to call himself her father that she has a hard time understanding what love is. I shoved my hands in my coat pockets and kept walking. Man, how is Donny taking this so well? How can he understand? Why would her father do this? I'm going to find him, and I'm going to kill him. That was my goal for tonight. Find and kill her father. If I kill him, she'll come back. She'll come back and I'll make sure she never leaves again. Everything will be fine. That's what I told Donny. His words pounded in my head. "No, Raph. Everything won't be fine. She'll still be hurt. She still won't understand real love. Killing him will only get rid of part of the problem. The other part is going to take time…" I don't give a damn about time. I got all the time in the world. Kelen, I just need to see you. God, I wish you could hear me. I wish you knew how beautiful I think you are. How much I love you. Man, it's hard to tell you though. I didn't mean to get so mad at her, to yell at her like I did.  
  
A few hours earlier…..  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Kel,"  
  
"Hey Raph! What's up?"  
  
"Nothin' really. Just felt like talkin' to ya."  
  
"Okay. Have anything in mind?"  
  
"Kinda. Kel, when are you coming back?"  
  
"Raph…we've talked about this. I don't know, why do you keep asking?"  
  
"'Cause you told me six months and now its been seven. That's why."  
  
"I know, Raph, I'm sorry. I really thought I could get out of here."  
  
"You lied to me."  
  
"…..What? You think I lied? Raph, I mean, how could you think I'd do that?"  
  
"Because you did."  
  
"Raph! I didn't lie to you; I really thought I'd be back by now. This isn't my fault."  
  
"Fine Kel, it isn't your fault. You think that if that's what keeps you from feeling guilty."  
  
"Raph, what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothin'. I just don't like to be lied to."  
  
"I didn't lie!"  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"Making me feel so bad!"  
  
"You did it to me first."  
  
"Raph, look, I'm sorry if I made you feel bad."  
  
"You should be sorry. You're ruining my life!"  
  
"How am I doing that?!"  
  
"I would think you know since you've been doing such a good job of it."  
  
"Raph, stop!"  
  
"Why should I? What right do you have to come into my life and make me fall in love with you, and then leave and keep giving me crap about when you're coming home?!"  
  
"I'm coming home! And you have no right to make this my fault!"  
  
"It is though, isn't it?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You could have stopped your dad a long time ago. But you didn't, which is why he's still here. Isn't that your fault?"  
  
"…I, I mean…Raph don't"  
  
"Isn't it?!"  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"That's what I thought. So you have been lying, right?"  
  
"I don't know,"  
  
"Right?"  
  
"I guess I have been."  
  
"Yeah. You have."  
  
"I have to go now."  
  
"I'm sure you do."  
  
  
  
Present time…  
  
Damn, why did I do that? She probably hates me. I spun on my heel and started to go at a quick pace towards home. I got there quickly and found that my family was asleep. Good. I went to the phone and called April. I asked her if I could talk to Kelen for a couple hours. The payphone doesn't exactly call long distance. She said yes and I was over there in ten seconds flat. She had left the window open and had gone to bed. It was late. I slipped inside and took off my coat and fedora. I got to the phone and punched in Kelen's number. I really hoped she was still up.  
  
"Hello?" It was Lauren.  
  
"Hey Lauren, could I talk to Kelen?"  
  
"She isn't speaking to you right now, try back later." She hung up. Damn it. How could I have done that to Kelen? Now they both hate me. I dialed her number again. It rang once.  
  
"Two seconds is not later," Kelen told me, she sounded exhausted.  
  
"Kelen, I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you," I said.  
  
"Raph," she didn't sound happy. "I can't be with you anymore."  
  
I was shocked. I stumbled backwards and fell onto the couch.  
  
"What? Kelen, no, don't do that," I pleaded.  
  
"I'm sorry Raph. I've been treated like shit my whole life, I can't take it from you too," she had made up her mind. She sounded tired, like she'd been crying.  
  
"Kelen, don't say anything, just let me talk for a minute," I said slowly, "I'm sorry. I really am. I miss you so much, and I was mad that you weren't back. This isn't your fault. It was never your fault. I don't know why I said what I did, but if I could, I'd take them all back. You aren't ruining my life. You make my life great. I don't think I can live without you."  
  
The fact I might lose her was slowly sinking into my mind. We had fought before, but neither of us had ever come close to breaking up. I hadn't even ever thought about it. I mean, she's my everything. Even though I'd never tell her that, she might take it the wrong way.  
  
"Raph, I know you're sorry. But the fact that you did it once means you could do it again."  
  
"But, I love you."  
  
"That scares me, Raph. No one has ever loved me."  
  
That's what this is about. She doesn't know how to deal with the fact that someone might love her.  
  
"Yes they have, Kel. I'm sure your mom loved you. And Lauren loves you, and your brother,"  
  
"But no one has loved me like you do," she stated. I didn't know what to say. "I mean, I've never had anyone look at me and think I'm beautiful. No one has ever kissed me like you do. And the fact that you love me, that you really and truly love me, well, it just scares me."  
  
"I thought you loved me, too." I said, very confused.  
  
"I think I do, but I've never fallen in love before. I don't want to get hurt," she said.  
  
"I won't hurt you."  
  
"But you already have." she pointed out.  
  
I have. I hurt her. Just shoot me already and get it over with.  
  
"Kelen, I will never hurt you again. I would never try to hurt you in the first place. But if you think you love me then don't break up with me. Please, give me one more chance, Kel."  
  
I was begging her. I was literally begging her. She was quiet for a moment.  
  
"Kel?"  
  
"I'll think about it."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"I promise. But that doesn't mean yes. You really hurt me."  
  
And she really sounded hurt, which made it worse. It wasn't like she was just saying this to make me feel bad, which she was, I had really hurt her.  
  
"I'm sorry Kelen," I said.  
  
I must have apologized like ten times. I don't think I've ever apologized that much.  
  
"Okay. Look, I'll call you later, like tomorrow maybe. I'm not sure I'll have thought about it by then though, so please don't call me if I don't talk to you by then. I'll try to get back to you this week, until then don't call, don't e-mail me, don't do anything. Just… leave me alone for a while."  
  
Ouch. That hurt. I guess I deserve it. I'm willing to do anything for her right now though.  
  
"Alright, Kel, whatever you want."  
  
"I mean it Raph."  
  
"Okay, I promise."  
  
I don't really think I can promise her that I won't call, but maybe she wants me to call anyway.  
  
"Bye Raph."  
  
"Bye Kelen."  
  
She hung up. I can't ever remember feeling this depressed. She was the best thing that ever happened to me. I can't believe I said that to her. 'I'm not going home; Leo or Master Splinter has probably realized I'm gone. I'll go to Casey's.' I thought.  
  
I put my stuff back on and slipped back out April's window. I was mad and upset. And tired. I needed to go to sleep. I walked to Casey's apartment and found that he was asleep. Big surprise. I went into the guest room, which is really kinda my room, and laid back on the bed.  
  
All I could think about was Kelen. And, trust, me, you can't sleep when you're thinking about her. She's just so beautiful, and sexy, and… arrgghh, how could I have done that to her?  
  
  
  
Part Two  
  
(Kelen's POV)  
  
I hung up the phone in the kitchen and walked into the guest room. It was more comfortable than my room and I figured I'd sleep better in there. I sunk into the mattress, letting the cool peach sheets caress my body, and closed my eyes. It was impossible to sleep though. Someone knocked on the door.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"Can I come in?" Lauren asked.  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
It wasn't like I was going to sleep anyway. She sat down next to me.  
  
"What'd you tell him?" she asked. I had told her about our previous conversation.  
  
"That I'd think about it."  
  
She rolled her eyes in disbelief. Any guy who did that was a bastard in her eyes. Hence the fact that she fell in love with Donnie, the gentlest guy on Earth.  
  
"You must love him a lot. You would have told anyone else off."  
  
I shuddered. I couldn't help it. The word "love" had been having that effect on me lately.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"I really don't know if I love him."  
  
"Okay," she said slowly. "That makes no sense. If you don't love him, then don't think about it. If you do, it's another story."  
  
"I don't know though."  
  
Almost as if on cue, the phone rang. 'You have got to be kidding,' I thought. I picked up the phone.  
  
"What?" I asked harshly.  
  
"Not a night person I take it," said Leo.  
  
"Sorry, Leo," I said, rubbing the back of my head.  
  
"That's alright. Anyway, I have a question."  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"Do you know where Raph is?" he asked.  
  
My heart jumped. As much as I hated to admit it, I was worried all of a sudden.  
  
"No," I said, praying he hadn't done something stupid.  
  
"Has he called tonight?" Leo asked, sensing the worry in my voice.  
  
"Yes," I said, becoming more worried.  
  
"What happened?" he asked, equally worried, but trying to stay calm.  
  
"We had a fight. I came close to ending it."  
  
"Oh, man," he whispered. "Look, Kelen, I'm going to go find him, I'll call you back later."  
  
He hung up before I could say anything else. I dropped the phone. I remembered what Raph had said, "I don't think I could live without you…" But he wouldn't. I told him I would think about it, right? He's smarter than that. He wouldn't really do that, would he? I looked at Lauren.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
I couldn't say anything. I had just made the biggest mistake of my life and now I might never have a chance to correct it.  
  
"What?!" she asked again.  
  
"Raph's gone. He left after he called me."  
  
Lauren wanted to panic, but wouldn't let herself. Her logical side kicked into overdrive. Her brow furrowed as she lost herself in thought. All of a sudden, she jumped from the bed and snapped.  
  
"He can't call you from his house, their phone doesn't go long distance!" she shouted with a smile. I thought about this.  
  
"So?" I asked, not following at all.  
  
"So, he either had to call from April's or Casey's. He's probably still there," she said simply. 'Oh,' I thought. 'So this is why I keep her around.' I stared intently at the phone, waiting for it to ring.  
  
  
  
Part three  
  
(Raph's POV)  
  
Just as I thought it was possible to sleep, someone rang Casey's doorbell. 'Shit,' I thought. 'Now I have to start all over.' I heard Casey stumble out of bed and walk to the door. I rolled myself out of bed and followed, stopping before a wall that blocked my view to the door. Casey looked out the peep hole. He laughed and turned to me. "It's Leo," he said. I groaned. Great. Just what I needed. I walked over to the door and flung it open. He just couldn't give me any peace.  
  
"You know, you have quite a way of worrying us," he said, before I could open my mouth.  
  
"What the hell is that s'pposed to mean?"  
  
"That Kelen is at home, sitting by her phone, waiting for me to call and tell her you're still living," he said.  
  
He barged through the door. I think that statement was supposed to clear things up, but it didn't.  
  
"What do you mean? What the fuck does Kelen have to do with this?" I asked, growing angry and depressed at the same time at hearing her name.  
  
He sighed. "I didn't know where you had gone when you never came home after taking a walk, and I thought Kelen might know, so I called her."  
  
I wanted to punch him. He had no right calling MY girlfriend unless it was an emergency. And trust me, there are plenty of times when I don't come home and he never has to call anyone. The more I thought about it, the more upset it made me. He had proved over and over again that he might have feelings for Kelen. And calling her late at night while I was gone wasn't doin' much for him.  
  
"Bastard!" I yelled. "Don't ever call her again unless I say it's okay, or unless it's absolutely necessary! The last thing I need is to lose her to my goddamn perfect brother!"  
  
He looked a little taken back. "Raph, I wouldn't take her from you. I just had a bad feeling, that's all! I called her and when she said you'd had a fight, I got worried. Look, she thinks you've hurled yourself off some bridge, so just call her, and I'll…I'll see you in the morning." He sounded a little angry. I watched him leave and slam the door. I picked up the portable phone and started to head back to my room. But I ran into Casey.  
  
"So, you and your hottie had a fight, huh?" he asked with a smile. I growled at him, but he didn't get the point. "What, now that I called her hot you gonna put a restraining order on me?" He asked.  
  
I slammed the door to my bedroom and sat down on the bed. She *was* hot, but I was the only one allowed to think that. I remember the way Casey's jaw had dropped the first time he had met her. I think we all had been in shock that a girl that good looking and sweet would stay friends with us after we had saved her. Usually they freak out and run away. And, I gotta admit, when Lauren and Donnie set us up, and she practically asked me to put my arm around her, I didn't know what to think anymore.  
  
I remembered the phone in my hand and dialed her numbers. She almost picked up before it rang.  
  
"Leo?" she asked.  
  
"No," I growled.  
  
"Oh Raph, thank God!"  
  
That's more like it. "What's the matta' with you? I stay at Casey's for one night and you and Leo freak out on me and you suddenly come to the conclusion I've killed myself?" I asked.  
  
"To quote you, 'I can't live without you…' I was just worried," she said. "And…I'm sorry. Oh, and I forgive you, if you still have your apology out on the table."  
  
"Well, that was fast," I said shocked, not that I was complaining or anything.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but when I thought I might have lost you forever, I just…realized it."  
  
"Realized what?"  
  
"That I can't live without you either."  
  
Okay, so it wasn't love yet. But she had been through a lot and I just had to wait for her to realize that I really do love her, and would never hurt her like her father has. I smiled anyway. I mean, there is a girl on the phone who can't live without me.  
  
"Okay. So you forgive me, and everything's cool, right?"  
  
"Yeah, it's all good," she said.  
  
"Good."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So, anything else?" I asked. Maybe she really did love me. It can't hurt to ask.  
  
"Not right now," apparently she had caught on to what I was asking, "But I'll let you know as soon as it happens."  
  
I sighed. It was disappointing to have the person you love not love you back. Especially after you thought they really did love you.  
  
"Alright, but Kel? If you ever do fall in love with me…"  
  
"Raph, you know I love you. I always have. I just have to find out what that means before I let myself fall any further."  
  
"Oh. I'm glad…" that was an understatement, I was thrilled. "Anyway, if that ever happens, what are we going to do?" I had been wondering for a while now. What would happen? Was it possible to take it to the next step?  
  
"Raph, what do you mean?"  
  
"I mean what's gonna happen to us. Ya can't just move into the sewers and disappear forever. And I can't really move top side. What'll we do?"  
  
She was quiet for a little while, like this thought had never entered her mind.  
  
"I'm not sure Raph, but if it ever comes to that point, I'll figure something out. I promise I will."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Why ask now though? Planning on proposing?" she asked jokingly.  
  
I jumped a little. I mean, yeah that's what I was talking about, but the thought of marrying her was to big too handle.  
  
"No! I just…you know, was kinda wondering if…"  
  
She laughed. "It's alright Raph; you don't have to answer that."  
  
"Good, I don't know what to tell you!" She laughed again.  
  
"We haven't had a conversation like this in a while," she noted.  
  
"Yeah, let's keep it that way, okay?"  
  
"Ummm…yeah, sure."  
  
"Oh man, you want to talk about this?"  
  
"Well, yeah, kinda."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's important to me."  
  
"But I hate talks like this!"  
  
"I know. Sorry, but we have to have this talk now. Remember, you owe me."  
  
She was right, I did. God, she had no idea how uncomfortable this made me. Especially when Casey was probably standing on the other side of the door and would tell my brothers.  
  
"Could we have it later, Kel?" I asked.  
  
"Nope. Now looks good."  
  
"Fine," I gave in. It would happen sooner or later.  
  
"Do you think we'll get married?"  
  
I tensed up. I wasn't expecting that so quickly. I squirmed a little. What was I supposed to tell her, no? I couldn't do that. But if I tell her yes, she'll talk about it more. Classic no win situation.  
  
"I don't know, Kel. I mean…I don't know."  
  
"Raph! I promise not to torture you whatever you say."  
  
I exhaled. Sure she promised, now at least. "Well, but I really don't know. I mean, I want to…well not now! I'm not even sure we could, but yeah, I guess so. I mean, maybe. I mean…I don't know! Why are you doing this to me?!"  
  
She laughed. She actually laughed! She was enjoying this! This was cruel. She probably doesn't even want to know, she's just getting me back! Man, she knows how to push my buttons!  
  
"Kelen! That isn't fair!"  
  
"Yes it is! You owe me! But don't worry, I'm nineteen, I'm sure I can a few years."  
  
"Could I go now?" I asked. Man, I hated this.  
  
"I suppose so."  
  
"Can we not talk about this, or anything else serious for that matter, for a very long time?"  
  
"I guess, but I'm not making any promises."  
  
She needs to know all this crap from time to time. She never really had a family, so I guess it's pretty important to her. Ah, well. I'll live. I never really have "talks," so it always makes me nervous when she brings something like this up. But hey, I almost lost her tonight. And she thought she lost me, too. So whatever it takes, ya know?  
  
  
  
*Alright readers…I'm blank. What should happen next? Any ideas are appreciated! Thanx! 


	10. Basketball Games

Kelen hurriedly ran to the phone. Lauren smiled widely and followed close at her heels. Kelen missed the kitchen and had to turn back around, crashing head on into Lauren. "Ow!" they said in unison. Then they both laughed uncontrollably.  
  
"Hey," Lauren said between laughs, "If I ever call basketball stupid again, hit me."  
  
Kelen continued to laugh and nodded. She hadn't been this happy in a long time. She walked over to a chair in the kitchen, almost falling over her own feet, and picked up the phone. She took a couple deep breaths and Lauren sat down beside her as she dialed a phone number.  
  
In the turtle's lair, the phone rang. Raph happened to be walking by it and picked it up before it finished the first ring.  
  
"Yeah?" he asked.  
  
"Hey!" came a peppy voice from the other end of the phone.  
  
"Hey Kel! What's up?"  
  
He heard her laughing. "Guess what?"  
  
He smiled, he loved her laugh. "What?" he asked.  
  
"I have a championship basketball game next week!"  
  
He laughed a little too, he didn't get why she was so happy. "That's great."  
  
"No it isn't! That isn't the great part! Guess where it is?"  
  
His heart jumped into his throat. "Where?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Manhattan!" she screamed.  
  
  
  
  
  
*This is not the end! More chapters will follow shortly! 


	11. Back Home

*Disclaimer: All right, for the record, just in case you forgot, I don't own the TMNT, and it is very likely I never will. Sorry this took so long! I couldn't find a place to end it…  
  
  
  
Raphael was awoken very early by a loud banging on his door. He wearily opened his eyes and wondered why the heck someone was ruining his morning.  
  
"What?" he asked, tired and annoyed.  
  
"Guess what!?" Mikey shouted.  
  
"What!?" he asked again, still tired, and more annoyed.  
  
"Kelen and Lauren are coming today!" He reminded him excitedly. Then he slid open Raph's door and bounced into his room.  
  
Raph had almost, but not quite, forgotten they were coming. It was all he could think about all week… it was just really early!  
  
"Forgot, didn't ya?" he asked mockingly.  
  
"No, Mikey, I didn't! Now get out of my room!" he shouted.  
  
Mikey pouted. "And, it had better be later than it feels," Raph said, glaring at him. Mikey's eyes grew wide. Raph didn't like to woken up so early. He jumped up and started for the door. There were some days you just don't argue with Raph, and this was going to be one of them. He stopped just outside the door and spun around to find himself facing Raph. "Ya?" Raph asked.  
  
"Ummm, I was just wondering. I know you've forbidden everyone to think about Kelen ever again, but if I do today, will I still be in trouble?" he asked in his best youngest sibling voice. "Yes," Raphael said simply, and slid the door closed.  
  
Raph looked around his room. He thought about cleaning it, but then dismissed that thought when he decided that she had seen his room before, and wouldn't really care. He couldn't even believe she was coming back. Even if it was for just two weeks- it had been eight months- and he *needed* to see her. He had been disappointed when she reminded him that she was coming out for the game, and would have practices every day the first week and the game that Saturday. But he had to remember that for the second week she was all his. And he wasn't going to let anyone, not even her father, stop that.  
  
He suddenly wondered when she would be here. But his heart sank when he remembered that Mike had just woke him up and she wouldn't be here until that evening. He sighed and flopped back down on his bed. It was going to be good to have everything back to normal…or as normal as it could get when Kelen's father was still trying to kill her for no reason except that he was a madman. He knew her father had found her in California and that was the other reason she was coming back to Manhattan. She hadn't told him he was back, but he could tell from the way she avoided the question whenever he brought it up. He had been so mad at her father after he discovered he had been shot by him. Not only for hurting him, but from the way he saw him touching Kelen. And every time he thought about it, the same picture came up. The image that couldn't be erased from his mind. The night he had found her sprawled out across her bed, completely helpless, bloody, and hurt. The way she had looked at him before her eyes had closed, begging him to help her, and then having to sit there because he couldn't. But he was determined to help her anyway. He was going to pull all the information out of her that he could and then find the bastard and make sure he would never come back.  
  
  
  
Kelen handed her plane ticket to the stewardess at the front of the plane. She walked through and took her seat next to Lauren. She shoved a bag under her seat and leaned back, closing her eyes and taking a couple deep breaths. "Don't worry about it," Lauren said calmly.  
  
Kelen's eyes popped open and she looked at Lauren like she was crazy. "He's going to yell," she said. The seat belt light came on above them and they both buckled up.  
  
Lauren shrugged. "Yeah, he probably is," she agreed.  
  
"And he's going to be mad!" she reminded.  
  
"He'll be upset and mad, but you can't help it," Lauren pointed out.  
  
The stewardess came around, showing everyone what to do in case of an emergency. "I think he might break up with me," Kelen added shyly.  
  
Now it was Lauren's turn to think she was crazy. "Hey! I have seen him mad before, and yeah he's going to be mad. But he loves you Kelen. And he's going to be mad because he's worried for you and his brothers. But this isn't your fault. And if he does break up with you, then maybe he just isn't the one," Lauren said gently.  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of," Kelen said. 'What am I going to do?' she thought. 'Just walk up and say, oh yeah, Raph, by the way, my dad is an elite member of the Foot Clan?' She sunk back in her seat and the plane started to take off.  
  
  
  
Minutes dragged by and Raph's eyes were transfixed by the clock. For a good half the day, he was able to hide his emotions rather well. Finally it was too much to take and he had to disappear for a while. He didn't want to go anywhere, because he was so afraid that she would come and he wouldn't be there. So he went to his room, shut his door and laid down on his bed. He put his headphones on and listened to the music for a while. The soft noises going on outside mixed with the loud music in his CD player became a relaxing atmosphere. His mind drifted to Kelen, and how soon she would be there with him. He reluctantly let his eyes close; his emotions had worn him out, and lulled off to sleep.  
  
  
  
Kelen lazily opened her eyes on the plane. She watched the sunset whiz by and became aware of a dropping sensation. She panicked and sat upright quickly. Lauren looked over at her. "Oh, good, you're up. We're landing," she said, calming Kelen's nerves. But her stomach twisted when she thought of Raph. She wanted to see him so badly, but she also didn't want to tell him what she had figured out. She made up her mind to worry later and just look forward to seeing Raph now. "You excited?" Kelen asked to break the silence. Lauren nodded and blushed a little. Kelen nodded back. "Me too," she said. They were quiet for a moment. Then they looked at each other and after a few more moments of silence laughed. Kelen smiled, her troubles forgotten, grabbed her bag, and started off the plane.  
  
Once outside the airport, Kelen whistled for a taxi, but when you look like Kelen, it isn't too hard to get their attention. A taxi soon pulled up and Kelen smiled. She loved New York! She was so happy to see skyscrapers again! She had missed the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps. She opened the taxi door and climbed in, throwing her bag on the ground. Lauren slid in the seat closest to the door and pulled it shut. "Where to?" the taxi driver asked with a Hispanic accent. Kelen smiled. "Manhattan," she said.  
  
  
  
Raph opened his eyes. The CD had stopped long ago and he had been sleeping for hours. His clock said 6'o clock. He bolted upright and got to his feet. She would be here any minute. He knew they would've called him if she had been here. He opened his door and walked to the bathroom to take a shower.  
  
In the kitchen, Mike was wearing his 'Kiss the Cook' apron and humming Jingle Bells. He sprinkled a little more cheese on the pizza he was making and popped it in the oven. Donny and Leo were playing 'Go Fish' at the table. Everyone was so anxious for them to arrive that there was nothing to do but wait. "Got any three's?" Donny asked. Leo shook his head. "Fives?" he asked Donny. Donny handed over a five which left him holding nothing. "I'm out of cards," he said. Leo put his set of fives down next to a set of six's. "Me too," he said. Mike was leaning against the counter watching them play and waiting for his pizza to cook. There was silence between them. "I'm bored," Mike said. They had cleaned everything, Mike had been cooking all day, they had played every card game, board game, and watched every TV show that had looked interesting, and even a couple that didn't look interesting. "We could practice," Leo suggested. He guessed the overwhelming silence meant no. "Hey Donny," Mikey started, getting an idea, "Do you think their plane has landed yet?" Donny checked his watch. "Yeah, definitely," he said. Mike smiled. "Could we call them?" he asked. They all agreed this was a good idea.  
  
  
  
Kelen and Lauren were walking down an alleyway that conveniently led to a manhole cover. They had taxi driver drop them a couple blocks away from the alley so he wouldn't get suspicious about letting them off in the middle of nowhere. Kelen's worries were chewing away at her again and she was desperately trying to stall. Lauren had had just about enough of it when her cell phone rang. "Hello?" she said, not really wanting to take the call. But Kelen noticed her face brighten. "Yeah, we're about two feet away," she said into the receiver. She laughed. "Yeah, okay." Kelen was sure it was Mikey on the other end. "Can I talk?" she asked hopefully. "But you'll talk in thirty seconds," Lauren complained. Kelen whipped the phone out of her hand.  
  
"I'm scared," she said, not waiting to tell Mikey who it was. He was one of her best friends and she had already told him her problem. He had even freaked out a little, but he managed not to yell and they worked it out.  
  
"Don't freak, babe! He'll get it," he assured, recognizing her voice.  
  
"You didn't," she reminded.  
  
"Yeah, but you told me kinda suddenly. Just back our way into it this time. And if he goes psycho, I'll protect you!" he promised.  
  
It didn't really make her feel any better, but she said it did anyway. "Thanks Mike, see you soon," she said, and hung up. Lauren looked at her. "How does he know?" she asked. "I told him," she said. Lauren just shook her head. "Let's go," she said with a sigh. "Wait," Kelen protested. But Lauren already had the cover off. She motioned with her hand for Kelen to follow.  
  
  
  
Mike hung up the phone and became very excited that they were coming. But when he turned around, Donny and Leo were looking at skeptically. "What?" Mike asked. "What was that conversation about?" Leo asked him. Mike shrugged. "You'll find out later."  
  
Raph was out of the shower and back in his room tying on his bandana. Mike had said they would be here in two minutes. He was nervous to see Kelen. The last time they had seen each other Raph had been down with a bullet wound and Kelen had been a mess. This time they were both much better, or at least she claimed she was. Kelen hadn't been admitting to any pain if she felt any. They all knew she had some issues going on, but she wouldn't talk about it. Leo had talked to her brother a couple of times and Trent had said she was the same way around him. His guess was she would be like this for a while. Kelen never really opened up to anyone except Lauren, and the past few months before she had left, they had learned everything about her. She had cried a lot and talked more than she ever had. Trent just said she was probably embarrassed and didn't want to come off as weak anymore. They understood that, but they hadn't really thought she was weak, just in trouble. And they wanted her to tell them if something was wrong. But Raph knew from the way she avoided certain questions that she wasn't going to. The truth was, he was worried about her. But he knew that was the last thing she wanted so he didn't push it. All he wanted right now was for her to be there in his arms.  
  
Kelen forced herself to keep walking. She made sure her face showed no more signs of worry and convinced herself that all she wanted was to see Raph. Lauren was barely keeping up with her. Kelen turned around the last corner and could see the ladder up ahead. The darkness slowly faded as she neared the entrance. She stopped at the top and waited for Lauren. When Lauren got there she said to Kelen, "Well, you sure changed in the last five minutes." Kelen shrugged. "You first," Lauren said. Kelen's heart leapt. Her heart beat quickly as she swung herself onto the top rung of the ladder. Her hands were shaking as she started down, but she didn't get to take a step.  
  
"KELEN!" Mikey yelled as loud as he could. He ran to the ladder, climbed up, took Kelen by the waist and jumped back down. "I missed you!" he screamed again, hugging her tightly and picking her up off her feet. "I missed you too, Mikey," she said gasping, "But I can't breathe!" Mikey smirked and loosened his grip but wouldn't put her down. "Hey, look, it's Lauren," she said, switching his attention. He dropped her and immediately went to Lauren. A very similar situation happened to her as she started down the ladder. Once they were both on the ground, Mikey took one of them under each of his arms and switched kissing both their cheeks over and over again. "I'msogladyou'rebackandImissedyousomuchandIhavesomuchtotellyouand…" he was talking so fast that they couldn't keep up with him. "I didn't understand any of that, but I agree with all of it!" Kelen said. "Me too!" Lauren said. Mikey shrieked a little and they all laughed. "Well you're here! What can I do for you?" Mikey asked, hoping they were hungry. "Stop trying to break us in half," Kelen said. "Okay!" he agreed. He set them both down. But it wasn't two seconds before he was holding them again. "No! You can't have them!" Mikey yelled. Both their backs were turned to whoever Mike was talking to. They both struggled to turn their heads and saw Donny and Leo in the doorway. "Hi guys!" Kelen said in a girlish high pitched voice. "Hey Kelen," Leo said back, "Need some help?" he offered. "Please!" she said. Leo walked over and pried Kelen from Mikey's arms who protested all the while. Donny was doing the same with Lauren. Leo managed to get Kelen free. She hugged him tightly for a few moments. "I missed you guys," she said. "We missed you too," he said, "But, uh, I think he missed you more." He gestured towards Raph's bedroom. "Can't even come out and say hi, huh?" she asked. Leo shrugged. She shrugged back. "Alright then," she said, and started for the bedroom door. Lauren was in Donny's arms. A place she had longed to be for months. "Hi," she said softly. "Hi," he said back. She leaned over to kiss him and he took her closer in his arms.  
  
Raph was sliding open his door to come meet Kelen, only to find her standing outside of it. "I haven't seen you for eight months, and don't even come out of your room," she complained. He smiled and looked over her body as she was saying this. She started to say something else, but he put a finger up to her lips. "Shut up," he said smiling. She smiled back. He pulled her into his room and turned around to shut the door. When he turned back around, Kelen was sitting on his bed. He walked over to her and put his arms around her waist, leaning her back on the bed and moving closer to her body. She knew what he wanted. "Raph…" she said. "Just relax," he whispered dangerously close to her ear. His lips were almost touching hers, it was a slow movement, like some first kisses are. Just before he was able to touch her lips, a knock was heard on his door. Raph closed his eyes tightly and cursed under his breath. He looked at Kelen, hoping she would say ignore it, but she just shrugged. "What?!?" he asked. "Sorry, I know you're busy," Mikey said, "But Master Splinter wants us all in the living room to just talk about stuff for a little while." Raph glared at the door. "You're really pushin' it today, Mike," he warned. "Hey, it's not my fault!" he defended. "We'll be there in a minute," Kelen said before Raph got to answer. They heard footsteps leave. "We will?" Raph asked. She nodded. He rolled his eyes. "I better get one hell of a kiss later," he said. "We'll see," she said, "I'm glad to see you again." He felt a tension in her. "Me too," he said. She smiled awkwardly and started to get up. Now he knew she was uncomfortable. "What's wrong?" he asked. She looked confused. "What?" she asked. "You're actin' kinda funny," he said. She shrugged. "Nothing," she said. He looked at her closely and watched her shift under his stare. "You'd tell me if there was somethin' bothering ya, right?" he checked. "Yes!" she said annoyed, "Can we go?" Maybe he had imagined it. "No," he said. "No?" she asked. "I haven't seen you forever, I finally get to see for two minutes, I don't even get a kiss and now we have to go out there," he said. "Okay, you stay here, I'll see you later," she said and turned around. He grabbed her arm. "That isn't what I meant," he said. "I know," she told him. "I just wanted it to be you and me tonight," he said. "It will be," she promised, "Right after this." He groaned, "Fine, but you owe me." She laughed. "Man, I missed you," he said. She turned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled, thinking he had won. "Let's go," she said. She pulled away from him and started out of the room, leaving Raph to follow her.  
  
"KELEN!" Mikey screamed for possibly the third time that night, "You're here!" Lauren looked at him, "Yeah, well, that was the general idea," she said. "LAUREN!" he screamed. He received a harsh look from his Master. Splinter turned to look at the girls. "We are glad you are both back safe," he said. "It's good to be back," Kelen smiled. Splinter couldn't help but smile back. She had had a great impact on Raphael's life, and the more things moved along in their lives, the more they came to need each other. "And how was California?" he asked. "Boring," Kelen said, "It's nothing like New York." Mikey looked at her like she was crazy. "What? But the beach is there, and they got different pizza there, and everything! How could you be bored?" he asked. "Well, my brother is extremely over protective so when you can't do anything, you get bored," she said. "Well are you hungry?" he asked hopefully. "Very!" said Lauren, who had been quiet for a while now. "Good! Come on," Mikey exclaimed, leading them into the kitchen. Raph pulled back on Kelen's arm before she could go and waited for everyone else to leave. "We don't have to," he said. She rolled her eyes. "I haven't eaten anything since this morning," she answered. He noticed she was much skinnier since the last time he saw her, and she had been skinny enough then. He silently doubted she eaten much *before* this morning and pushed his feelings away while he followed her into the kitchen.  
  
Dinner was a mess of stories and talk of California, Lauren's family, and catching up. But everyone tip-toed around the area of Kelen's father. After dinner, Kelen had quickly decided to take a shower and Lauren and Donny were in his room. Raph was in his bedroom waiting for Kelen to get out. After a little while, he heard the water turn off. Kelen walked into his room. Her hair was still wet and she had changed into pajamas. Raph was laying on his bed with his headphones on, and pulled them off when Kelen came in. "I want my kiss," he said. Kelen really wanted to kiss him too, but she was so nervous about telling him about her father that she could hardly be around him. But he wasn't really giving her a choice. Before she could answer, he had gotten up and was at her side. He put his arms loosely around her waist. She stood there, not responding to his touch. But when their lips connected for the first time after eight months, she couldn't help but kiss him back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he tightened his around her waist. They were both lost in a world of ecstasy, but Kelen forced herself to pull out of it and backed away from the kiss. She turned her back towards Raph and walked to on side of the room. She had to tell him, she couldn't lie to him. She was putting him in danger. Her father was a member of the foot clan. He was a member of the foot clan *and* he had been in their house. This meant the foot probably knew where they were by now and were just waiting to make their move. She had to tell him.  
  
Raph got a good grip on her arm and spun her around. He looked annoyed and she could tell he was ready to burst. She was about to trigger all that anger. "There something you want to tell me? Because, for some strange reason, I actually thought you'd be happy to see me," he said. She looked deeply into his eyes. He loosened his grip on her arm. "Yeah, Raph. There is something I want to tell you." 


	12. Revealing Dark Secrets

Raph looked at Kelen and waited for her to tell him. She continued to stare at the ground. Kelen just couldn't figure out an easy way to tell him this. She slid away from his grasp and crossed her arms. Her heart was pounding so hard she was surprised he couldn't hear it. Her stomach tied itself into a thick triple knot with no sign of letting up. She was trying to buy herself some time, but she couldn't stall much longer. "Could we talk about this somewhere else?" she said quietly, "I don't really want to tell anyone else yet." He looked at her, thinking the worst over in his head. "That bad, huh?" he asked. She nodded. "You wanna take a walk?" he asked. "Yeah," she said. She grabbed a sweatshirt and pulled it over her head. He got his coat and fedora. They were heading out when Kelen caught the faint blue glow of the T.V., and walked a little louder past the room Mike was watching it in. He turned his head at the noise and smirked at them.  
  
"And where are you two going tonight?"  
  
"Guess!" she sneered.  
  
Mike got up and caught Kelen's arm. "Excuse us," he said, pulling Kelen into the room he was in.  
  
"You sure you want to do this?"  
  
"No, but I don't have a choice."  
  
"You want me to follow you?" he offered, "Just in case?"  
  
She shook her head. "Nah, I just wanted to let you know. I feel like I might explode."  
  
He patted her arm. "Good luck, babe."  
  
She turned and left the room. "What was that all about?" Raph asked.  
  
"Nothing, it was nothing," she said. She started to go over what she would say to him in her head and became so lost in thought that she almost missed the ladder when she was walking past it.  
  
Mikey sighed and decided he should warn Lauren. Maybe she could save Kelen the trouble and tell Donnie. He walked to Donnie's room and listened outside his door for a minute. He didn't want to interrupt anything. He didn't hear anything. He knocked on the door.  
  
"Yes?" Lauren asked. Mikey poked his head in the door. He was baffled to find Lauren sitting on the bed, and Donnie on the computer. Had he forgotten that Lauren was there?  
  
"Uh.Kelen and Raph just went out.to talk," he said.  
  
"Wonderful. You think she would have given us at least a 24 hour warning."  
  
"Yeah, but it's her thing, we should let her do it her way."  
  
"Yeah, you're probably right," she sighed. She looked over at Donnie, sighed again, and flopped backwards on the bed.  
  
"Goodnight," Mikey said. Lauren waved absently, but didn't say anything. When she heard the door close, she got up off the bed. Lauren walked over to Donny and put her arms around his shoulders from behind. She kissed his cheek, and when he turned his head towards her, she kissed his lips. As soon as he put his arms around her waist, she pulled back.  
  
"If you go on that computer one more time, and stay on it, I'll scream!" she said playfully.  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
He pulled her onto his lap and they continued where they had left off. But it wasn't long before they were interrupted. Mikey hadn't even bothered to knock this time. Lauren looked up at him and blushed.  
  
"If you tell Donnie, I'll work on Leo," he said smiling.  
  
Lauren looked at him for a moment. "Tonight?" she asked. Mikey nodded. "Fine," she said. The door closed and they were alone again.  
  
"Tell me what?" Donnie asked suspiciously.  
  
"You have to promise that you won't get mad," she said.  
  
"I'm not sure I can promise that."  
  
"Then you can't get mad until Kelen gives you all the details, okay?"  
  
Donnie sighed. "Alright, what happened?"  
  
Kelen and Raph walked along the sidewalks of New York. She was going over the jumble of words in her head, carefully putting each one in order. He was silently guessing what it was she was going to tell him, and giving her all the patience he had while he waited. Finally, she stopped walking. He did likewise and she slowly turned towards him.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
She wanted to tell him. The thing was, she wanted to crumple into his arms and tell him. She wanted him to hold her and tell her it was okay, that he would take care of everything. But that wasn't going to happen. She turned her head away from him, breaking their gaze, and looked hopelessly down at the ground. She shuffled her foot around for a minute, hoping to unlock some lever, praying that the lever would release the ground's hold to the Earth and swallow her up. After all, what did the Earth care about her? Obviously nothing, it hadn't really given her a pleasant stay so far. She mustered up the last of her courage, not wanting to waste it, and looked back up at him.  
  
"Raph, I would die if something happened to you," she said, the rest of the words were already choking her up, forming a lump in her throat. She swallowed hard and continued, "Especially if it was because of me."  
  
He nodded in understanding and waited for her to go on. "And honestly, I don't think I would tell you this at all if I didn't believe you were going to get hurt." She looked at him. His eyes showed confusion and worry. She went on to explain what she meant.  
  
"My father found me, Raph. And even though I didn't say anything, I think you knew that."  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, I did."  
  
"Thought so," she said, "and he was pretty mad when he did."  
  
He began to carefully and quickly look over her face and neck for anything resembling a scar. "Did he hurt you?" he asked, already knowing the answer, but wanting to hear it for himself anyway.  
  
"Yeah. He hurt me pretty badly. The thing is," she paused. He seemed so completely calm right now, that for a brief moment she thought he wasn't going to mad. She abruptly shook the thought from her head before it had a chance to settle in. "The thing is.I think he's going to hurt you, too."  
  
He waited for her to say more, but she didn't. "Why do you think that?" he prompted.  
  
"Because he's a member of the Foot," she said just loud enough for him to hear. She had caught him completely off guard with her quick response.  
  
Just like she thought, he immediately exploded. "WHAT?! Kelen, that man was in our house. He knows where we are---they know where we are!"  
  
"I know, Raph, I really do. But please just listen to me---"  
  
"No way! I can't believe you wouldn't tell me something like that! Everything is a big secret with you!" He started to raise his voice even more.  
  
"I'm sorry, but---"  
  
"You're sorry?! They could've come and killed us, and probably will come, and you're sorry? Jesus Kelen, did you--"  
  
"You aren't even giving me a chance to explain!" she yelled above his voice.  
  
He heard and tried his damned hardest to calm down. He shut his eyes and balled his hands into fists at his sides. He took one deep breath after another, but it wasn't helping. He was in complete shock that she would keep something as dangerous as this from him.  
  
"Thank you. Look, I'm not sure how you think I found this out, but he didn't tell me. It's not like he came to see me so we could have a cup of coffee and talk about our day!"  
  
He knew she was right, but still, she should have told him this a long time ago.  
  
"I'm really and truly sorry that I didn't tell you as soon as I found out, I wouldn't want you and your family to get hurt or anything. I wouldn't want anything to happen to mine either."  
  
"Kelen, what do you know about family?" he said flatly. "You don't have one." As soon as it came out of his mouth, he knew it was a mistake having said it. He prayed she hadn't heard him. He hadn't meant for it to come out like that. He hadn't meant for it to come out at all. But when he opened his eyes, he saw the damage was done.  
  
Kelen was looking at him, wide-eyed and in shock. Part of him wanted to apologize right away. The other part was too proud, and thought she deserved it after keeping this from him. He was still fuming at her.  
  
She knew he hadn't meant it. He was mad. He was just talking. But she was still hurt by it. She suddenly found it pointless to tell him that she had only found out two days ago. They were now mad at each other. He wanted to turn around and walk off and leave her there, but knew that wouldn't be right. Anyone could be lurking around here and just because he was mad, that didn't mean he wanted her to get hurt.  
  
"Let's just.go home," he said, after the few moments of silence that they had stared each other down. He felt this conversation was over for tonight anyway. If they wanted, they could finish it at home, with everyone. Probably in the morning.  
  
He started to turn around but she crossed her arms, shifted her weight to one leg, and didn't move. "No," she said.  
  
He looked right at her. "What?" he said. He thought she was crazy.  
  
"I said no. I don't want to go back with you."  
  
  
  
"So, anyway," Lauren started to wrap up, "She told me, and apparently Mikey, and now she's telling Raph."  
  
Leo, Donnie, Mikey and Splinter were all scrunched together in the living room, listening intently to Lauren as she told them all she knew about what had happened a few nights before.  
  
Leo was the first to speak up. "She should have told all of us as soon as she found out."  
  
Lauren nodded. "I agree, but I think she's afraid of you."  
  
They all gave her questioning looks. "You know, afraid of losing you," she explained. "You guys have been like family to her -to us. I think that she stopped telling you things because you were already trying to solve her problems, and she was afraid that even more problems would push you away."  
  
"Then why do you suppose she told Mikey?" Donnie asked.  
  
"Mikey's one of her best friends. He hasn't betrayed her before and I think she knows he won't. They have a pretty sturdy friendship."  
  
Mikey smiled, and blushed slightly. "And you don't think what she and Raph have is sturdy?" Leo questioned.  
  
Lauren was quick to respond. "No, I think it's too sturdy. Don't give me that look, I'm going to explain. Okay, imagine each one of the problems or accomplishments in their relationship as a brick. A brick is solid. Now, imagine that they keep taking all those bricks and building a wall. A brick wall is solid, but it's also sturdy. However, if you build the wall too tall, it will eventually come crashing down. And from all they've gone through so far in such a short amount of time, they have a pretty high wall. And Kelen is being very careful about which bricks she's adding to it, because she's afraid it will fall. Kelen isn't afraid of it falling, she's afraid that Raph isn't going to want to start a new wall. She's afraid he'll leave her behind with the rubble and broken pieces and he'll go and start a new wall by himself.or maybe with someone else."  
  
They all took a minute to process this. Lauren sat down on the couch and rubbed the sides of her forehead as she thought of all the broken walls that she and Kelen had behind them. Kelen wasn't easy to deal with. And it obviously wasn't what they had in common that kept their friendship going. Kelen was wild and outgoing, and had lost most of her family in very suspicious accidents. Lauren, on the other hand, was well read and had much better control over her life. She had an extensive family, and they were all still living. They also loved her very much. Trent was protective of Kelen, until something came along that sounded like more fun. And there was something in the back of her mind that said if Kelen should die, god forbid, he would throw her a cheap funeral, mourn for a few hours, and then go water skiing with his girlfriend. And more then once, Lauren had considered giving up their friendship. Kelen was loads of fun to hang out with, she was sweet, she was pretty.but she was also very hard to keep watch over. She disappeared for hours on end, she locked herself in her room, and she switched moods faster then you could say 'now!' She knew that all Kelen's close friends were the same way. Hung out with her when she was in a good mood, and then left when she was depressed, claiming "She's too difficult when she's like that." And Lauren was always there when she was mad or upset, but she silently agreed with them.  
  
"Well," Leo said, breaking the silence, "I guess we can only hope he does the right thing."  
  
  
  
"Kelen, don't be stupid!" Raph yelled.  
  
"Oh, right Raph! I'm stupid because I don't want to go home with someone who isn't exactly happy with me right now. Gee, I see your point!"  
  
"I'm serious, Kel, I'm not gonna leave you out here! You'll get killed!"  
  
"Raph, I'm not two!"  
  
"Well you're acting like it!"  
  
"And you're being an asshole! But I'm not pointing that out! Oh wait.I guess I did!"  
  
"You are the one who kept something from me that could kill me and my family!"  
  
"Well, I had no idea! But of course I wouldn't, I don't have a family, remember?!"  
  
"Will you just shut up? We're fighting! Great! But you have to come home with me, I don't want to be stuck up all night, wondering if you've been killed and where they've dumped you're body!"  
  
"I don't need this," she sneered, turning and starting to walk away at a slow pace.  
  
"Oh yeah?! Well guess what? I don't need you!"  
  
She spun back around, her eyes bloodshot and red. "Jesus Christ, Raph! Don't you think I know that?! I mean, join the club why don't you? I'm sure your brothers and Lauren are all at home thinking the same thing.so guess what? You don't have to worry about it anymore, because that's all I needed to hear to keep walking! And don't worry, I'll be sure not to ever trouble you again. No one in my life sticks around, okay? I'll just add you to my list of people to keep in mind when they've already forgotten all about me.I'm surprised you even stuck around this long! You really had me fooled there for a while, ya know.it was just a matter of time."  
  
She turned back around and continued to walk, at a quicker pace. Raph stood dumbfounded where he was. How many fucking times had she heard that? Why did he have to say it, too? He wouldn't even begin to accept the fact that she very possibly had just ended it with him. It took him about two minutes to snap back into reality. There was no way he was letting her walk off like that.  
  
"KELEN!" he yelled after her. He saw her pause for a moment. She slipped headphones over her ears and started walking again. He broke into a run after her.  
  
She's taking her time, Making up the reasons, To justify all the hurt inside. Guess she knows, From the smiles and the look in their eyes, Everyone's got a theory about the bitter one.  
  
(Kelen heard him and took off at a run, hoping to lose him.)  
  
They're saying, "Mama never loved her much," And, "Daddy never keeps in touch, That's why she shies away from human affection."  
  
(She knew he was faster and she twisted and turned down alleys to keep him behind her.)  
  
But somewhere in a private place, She packs a bag for outer space, And now she's waiting, For the right kind of pilot to come, And she'll say to him.  
  
"I would fly to the moon and back if you'll be. If you'll be my baby. Got a ticket to a world where we belong, So would you be my baby?"  
  
(He was tailing close behind her. She turned down the side that looked more familiar and hoped to get somewhere where he couldn't follow her.)  
  
She can't remember a time, When she felt needed. If love was red then she was color blind. All her friends have been trialed for treason, And other crimes that were never defined.  
  
(His words rang through her ears.that and the way Lauren had kept looking at her and shaking her head all night. It made her run all the faster.)  
  
She's saying, "Love is like a barren place, And reaching for human faith, That's like a journey I just don't have a map for." So baby's gonna take a dive, Push the shift to overdrive, Send a signal that she's hanging all her hopes on the stars, What a pleasant dream.  
  
I would fly to the moon and back if you'll be. If you'll be my baby. I've got a ticket to a world where we belong. So would you be my baby?  
  
The last thing she wanted was for Raph to apologize because he felt bad for her. She sprinted so far she thought she might throw up. She turned around to see where he was and ran smack into someone. She looked up at them, and screamed.  
  
"I've been waiting for you, what took you so long?"  
  
She moved back a few feet. "No, don't leave. The fun hasn't even started," a voice told her.  
  
Raph heard her scream and he ran faster than he ever had before. He turned a corner he'd seen her go down and ran into the back of her head. She fell forward and he stood looking at her father. He quickly helped her to her feet and stood in front of her.  
  
"Leave her alone," he growled deeply.  
  
"And you are? No wait.I remember. Ah, yes.the boyfriend. I thought I killed you, though. Oh well, it's never too late for that. One thing I may suggest to you though, never take your eyes off the enemy."  
  
Kelen screamed behind him. He spun around to see what had happened.but she was gone. When he turned back to where her father had been, he too was gone.  
  
"No.NO!"  
  
*Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT. Plain and simple. Sorry this took so friggin' long. I have three or four of the next chapters already typed, and just need to do some polishing up on them. I expect them up soon, but I wouldn't put money on it. Oh, yeah.I don't own Savage Garden or their song, "To the Moon and Back." (I borrowed it earlier.) While I'm at it, I don't even own Snow White.how sad. She belongs to Disney. 


	13. chapter thriteen or my brain is fried

Raph had combed the area again and again trying to figure out where they could've gone. He checked the fire escape behind where Kelen's father had been standing, and an empty alley just off the side from where she had been standing. But everything he did turned into a dead end with nowhere to go in between. He was frustrated. There were absolutely no clues. It was like they had just disappeared into a never ending oblivion. This wouldn't have bothered him so much except that Kelen had disappeared with them. And a while back, he had promised her he would protect her.  
  
  
  
Kelen opened her eyes, revealing a blurry world. Her head was throbbing, but she couldn't figure out why. After a few seconds, the room around her slowly came into focus. She sat up cautiously and looked around. 'Where am I?' she thought. This definitely wasn't the sewers. The sewers did not have big, steel doors or square room's where you were thrown on cold floors. She tried to recollect what had just happened, but she was drawing a blank. The pain in her head also served some part in that she couldn't think straight. The floor she had been thrown on was stone and damp from the cold that seeped through it. 'That's weird,' she thought, 'who has stone---' she stopped herself as she came to realization with where she was. Her insides were immediately flooded with anxiety. How the hell would she get out? She stood up and leaned against the wall for support. She made her way to the other wall and got her legs used to walking. Then she turned around and examined the very large steel door holding her captive. It also had no handle so she had no idea how to open it. She walked up to it and pressed a few different spots. Then she pushed her weight against it, hoping to shove it open. After many tries, she came to the sad reality that she wasn't going to get this door open. She could, however, hear someone's snoring on the other side. 'So it can't be that thick,' she thought to herself. She also figured that the snoring belonged to a guard sent there to watch her. She sighed, utterly exhausted. "Shit." she muttered. What she really wanted to do was kick the door down and kill whoever was behind it. But she knew the longer she could fake being unconscious, the better chance she had of getting out of here. She turned around and leaned back against the door. She was surprised by a vent on the other side of the room. She smiled and walked over to it. It could easily be taken out of place. When she peered through the tiny slits, she could see it led directly to an alley. "Perfect," she whispered. She reached out to knock it out of place. As soon as she touched it, she received an electric jolt. She almost screamed, but she stopped herself. Instead she let silent tears roll down her face and brought her fingers to her mouth. There was no way out. She looked out of the vent. It was like it was there to remind her she wasn't leaving. All of a sudden she saw something that cheered her up. A pair of green feet. She bent down and looked up at who they belonged to. It was Raph. She smiled to herself. He was looking for her.  
  
"Where the hell is she?" he muttered. The vent caught his eye. He bent down to look through it. All he could see was darkness. But Kelen could see his deep chocolate brown eyes perfectly. She opened her mouth to shout out to him. Instantly she felt the cold steel of a sword drawn up against her neck.  
  
"Do you really want to do that?" a familiar voice asked in a harsh whisper. But it wasn't the one she had expected to hear.  
  
She turned to face a person she had always trusted. "Trent?" she whispered.  
  
Raph groaned. There was nothing behind that vent. He tried to think back and remember every detail of what had happened. They had fought, she ran, he ran after her. That part was clear. They had run into her father. He had to have known they would be there, otherwise no one could have found as a secluded spot as that. But how had he known? It got confusing when Kelen screamed. He turned around to see what had happened out of instinct. She was gone and he didn't know what had made her scream. When he turned back around, her father was also gone. For all he knew, she could have screamed because they had shoved a knife in her. 'No,' he thought quickly, 'That didn't happen.' He got up to re-trace his steps for the hundredth time that night. He was surprised by a sudden noise from his belt. He picked up his turtle-com.  
  
"What?!" he said into it.  
  
"Raph?" Lauren asked. "What's wrong?"  
  
He looked down into the com. "Lauren! Look, I can't explain, but Kelen's gone."  
  
"She's gone?" Lauren asked. "Like she ran away?"  
  
"No! Her father got her."  
  
"How?!"  
  
"I don't have time to explain!"  
  
"Where are you? We'll come help you look," Lauren said, she sounded desperate.  
  
He gave her a rough idea of where he was. "I don't know! In an alley." he groaned, "that's really hard to find. Look, there's a hotel, and there's an alley next to it. A bunch of different alleys come off of it. I'm in those alleys somewhere, I just dunno which one."  
  
"Alright, we'll be there as soon as possible!"  
  
Raph switched off his turtle-com and shoved it back in his belt. He wasn't getting anywhere with finding Kelen. He started to look on the ground instead, searching for anything anyone had dropped. He slowly made his way away from the vent and around a corner.  
  
  
  
Kelen couldn't do anything as she heard him walk away. She was too stunned by seeing her brother. He looked just as stunned to see her.  
  
"Kelen?! You're the one everyone's been after?"  
  
"It looks that way, doesn't it?!"  
  
"What did you do?" Trent asked skeptically.  
  
"I don't know!" she shouted, then glared at the Foot symbol displayed across his forehead, "What did you do?"  
  
"Kel, this is where we belong! Our dad's here, and they want us here, too!" he said.  
  
"Look, your dad might be here.but mine isn't!"  
  
"What are you talking about, Kelen?"  
  
"He rapes me, Trent! You know that! He is not my father!"  
  
"Kelen, he only does that because he loves you," Trent said wisely, "and he is your father."  
  
"He loves me?! He hurts me because he loves me?! What have they done to you?"  
  
"Look, I'm sure you'll understand later. Hey! I bet they just want to know where those mutants are! All you have to do is tell them.that's not so hard. Those beasts do nothing but fill your mind with useless thoughts and unattainable dreams. You don't need that."  
  
"I don't need you!" she shouted. Instantly, she was taken back with her own words. That was exactly what Raph had said to her a few hours ago.  
  
"I've seen that look before. It's hurt. They hurt you more than you know. But I know. Don't worry little sister, I'll make sure they don't ever hurt you again."  
  
"No! They don't hurt me! I love them!"  
  
"You do no such thing!" He said, pinning her backwards against a wall, holding her wrists above her head. "This is your home now, and you will love the people here."  
  
He released her and threw her to the ground, leaving the room. But before he closed the door, he said, "Don't shout out to that.that thing. Otherwise I'll be forced to kill you."  
  
Kelen didn't make a move. Instead, she feigned unconsciousness.  
  
  
  
As soon as everyone arrived, they split up and began searching for anything at all that would tell them where Kelen was. Lauren looked terrified, but was trying to keep it under control. Mikey was definitely worried, but determined. Donnie was carrying a tracker, to keep tabs on everyone and make sure no one got lost in the tangle of alleys or was captured. He also hoped to find Kelen on it, but was having very little luck. Leo was acting very much like their leader. More so than usual. He gave everyone specific instructions about where they would go and when they would meet back. He paired Raph and Lauren together since they knew Kelen the best and would have the most luck finding anything simply from intuition. Then they were all off in different directions.  
  
After an hour, Lauren and Raph hadn't found anything. They were each equally frustrated. Raph had taken a few minutes to explain what had happened just before she disappeared. He had left out the part that had been fighting. Man, he felt guilty about that. If he hadn't yelled at her, she wouldn't have walked off like that. Lauren could see how uptight he was. She reached out and touched his shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry, Raph. Kelen's a big girl. She knows how to take care of herself. Even if you don't believe it.you have to remember that Kelen could've been killed on numerous occasions and somehow or another she got out of it. We'll find her," she said, reassuring him along with herself.  
  
"I hope so," he said. He paused for a minute. "Hey, could I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure," she said.  
  
"Do you have any idea what Kelen's reaction would be if someone told her they didn't need her?"  
  
"You told her you didn't need her?!"  
  
"Along with a few other things."  
  
"Raph, Kelen has gone her entire life having people leave her. Her mom, her brother.and it's really not a good feeling to lose someone so close to you. Or to feel like it's your fault that they're gone. And after a while, she just stopped caring. She stopped telling people how she was feeling. And in the words of most people, she just became too difficult to love. And Kelen just sort of watched them faze out of her life. She figured if they *needed* her, they would've stayed."  
  
"One day she came to the conclusion that she needed everyone else a lot more than they needed her. So whenever she feels like someone doesn't need her, she just lets them go. And sometimes it's really hard. And it's stupid of her to lose people to her emotions, but she doesn't see it like that. I've known Kelen her whole life, and the thing she hates the most is opening up to people because they don't understand. Well, all she's ever been towards you is open. You're the first one she's ever really trusted besides her family. And if she ever felt like you didn't need her, she'd die. Because she really needs you."  
  
Raph cringed. His guilt had doubled. "If I'm the first one she's trusted, then what about you?" he asked, trying to relieve himself.  
  
"I said besides her family, Raph. I am her family. Her mom died when she was eight and ever since then she's become a part of my family and lived with me. I told you we tried to adopt her and Trent once. We just couldn't do it without her dad's signature. And when people ask my parents how man kids they have, they say seven. Me, my brother's Jeff, Josh, and Gabe, my sister Lindsey, and Kelen and Trent."  
  
Raph groaned. He had said she didn't have a family. "Strike two," he murmured.  
  
"You're just lucky she's so forgiving," Lauren said sarcastically.  
  
Raph groaned again. Getting Kelen to forgive you was like pulling teeth.  
  
"Maybe you guys should just call it even. You know, after keeping the thing about her father a secret," he started to feel a little better after she mentioned that, "for two days."  
  
"She only knew for two days?!" he yelled.  
  
"She'll explain when we find her," Lauren said, and then she lowered her voice considerably, "if we find her."  
  
"We'll find her. We have to."  
  
In the darkness of the alley, something gleamed from a corner. "What's that?" Lauren asked, pointing in the direction of the shimmer.  
  
Raph looked over to where it was. "Let's go see."  
  
  
  
Kelen waited until the door was shut behind her before opening her eyes. Everyone she had ever trusted had betrayed her. A very distinct feeling of aloneness captured her. It swirled around her body and sunk into her skin. It swam through her blood and caught the tips of breath. But with this feeling came another. Persistence. If she was alone, than no one was going to rescue her. She would have to get out on her own.  
  
But not now. Right now, her head throbbed and her entire body was aching and screaming out in pain. She looked down at her blood stained clothes. She hadn't noticed she was bleeding. When she pulled her shirt up to search for the source of the blood, she found no scratches. Instead, she found a wide trail of blood which she traced with her finger. Blood covered her stomach, chest and neck. Reaching up, she discovered a large, open gash wound on her forehead. As soon as she touched it, the blood bit her fingers and started to run freely again. She drew her hand back slowly and examined the contents that had spilled over fingers. She had to stop it. She ripped the bottom of her t-shirt off and folded it into a thick square. Then she ripped off more of her shirt in a long line. She held the square to the wound and wrapped the make shift bandage around it, tying the ends together tightly. She had no idea how long it would last or if it would even help, but she had to do something.  
  
After she got the wound bandaged up, she was left with nothing to do. All she could do was wait and see what would happen to her. That wasn't particularly what she wanted to do, but she wasn't left with a choice. Deep in her heart, she hoped Raph would come and get her out. But the rest of her was saying that he wasn't coming. He had already given up looking for her. His words rang through her ears. 'I don't need you.' That hurt so much. She could feel herself choking up, but refused to let anyone know she was crying. She didn't want anyone to know how much pain she was in. The weaker she seemed, the easier of a target she made.  
  
  
  
Lauren and Raph made their way over to the object. Lauren recognized it first.  
  
"That's Kelen's!" Lauren exclaimed.  
  
"It is?" Raph asked, picking it up. It was silver chain. Six or seven rings hung on the chain. Each ring, except for a small gold one, had stones on it. "I've never seen her wear this."  
  
"She keeps it in her pocket," Lauren said, taking it out of his hand, "always."  
  
"Are those all real?" he asked in shock.  
  
"Yeah. They were all gifts. Long story," she said.  
  
Raph looked at where he was. The vent he had seen was just around the corner. It was the only place to disappear to from here.  
  
Raph grabbed Lauren's arm. "This way," he said.  
  
  
  
Kelen was hunched up against the wall trying to hear what was going on outside the door. She could make out her brother's voice and her dad's voice. The other voices she didn't recognize. She was getting worried. She could only make out a few phrases, but it didn't sound good.  
  
"She has to...then kill her..doesn't matter..I will to."  
  
"..maybe she will..means nothing..force her."  
  
Two things happened at once. She saw Raph and Lauren from the vent, and her father, Trent, and two other men entered the room.  
  
"Oh, look, it's your friends. Should we invite them to stay for dinner?" her father asked mockingly.  
  
The other men snickered. Then her father came and sat beside her. "Let's just eavesdrop a little, shall we?"  
  
"This is the only place to go from here," they heard Raph say.  
  
"You really think she's down there?" Lauren asked humoring him. "Okay, then."  
  
'Yes! I'm down here!' she wanted to scream, 'Right in front of you!' She focused all her energy behind her eyes, giving herself a massive headache, and then looked straight towards Lauren. She tried to envision herself saying the statement out loud. Tried to imagine Lauren hearing it. Splinter had tried to teach her to do this once while the guys were sparring. It hadn't worked then, but she prayed it would work now.  
  
Lauren gave Raph a weak smile. She didn't think that Kelen was down there. She opened her mouth to try and calm him down. He was furious that she didn't believe him. She closed her mouth and took a step backwards from the small opening. A jolt had filled her body. It was weak, but strong enough that she wasn't going to ignore it. She couldn't describe it. It wasn't really a feeling, more like a memory. It made no noise, yet sounded like Kelen. It had her smile, but she couldn't see it. It had the overall presence of her. An image popped into her head that she had seen so many times before. It was just Kelen's eyes, but they were burning into her soul. It was this sort of glazed over look, like she was somewhere else completely. But then she caught you looking at her, and snapped her head towards you. Her eyes would glow for just a moment. Just enough to let you know she needed help. And then they'd cover up the pain she was feeling with that same glaze, and she'd smile at you wildly. The entire thing was haunting. She had no doubt that Kelen was down there.  
  
"Raph, get your brothers." she said weakly.  
  
"What the-? Lauren, you okay?"  
  
"She's down there, and she's hurt!" she yelled at him, "I can see it! Go get your brothers!"  
  
Raph knew better than to argue with Lauren's visions. He started a sprint back to where he and Lauren should have met up with everyone else fifteen minutes ago.  
  
Inside the small prison where Kelen was being kept and where four men had piled in, chaos ensued.  
  
"You little bitch!" her father said harshly, slapping her across the face. Then he turned towards Trent, and two other Foot members. "Get her the hell out of my sight!"  
  
They complied with the orders and quickly had Kelen within their strong grasp.  
  
"Let me go!" she yelled at them, kicking wildly. She managed to turn around and bit the hand that was holding her. She didn't let go, until he dropped his hand from her wrist. Then she delivered a swift right hook across his jaw, and tripped out his feet. Everyone else was still in shock. They had greatly under estimated her strength. Just because she was scared of her father, didn't mean she was scared of them. Trent reached out and grabbed her shoulder, searching for a pressure point. He assumed that because they were blood relatives, she would trust him. She didn't. She turned towards him and kneed him in the groin. She brought her arm up and used her elbow to knock the side of his head, sending him to the ground. The last Foot Soldier stared in disbelief as she unsheathed Trent's katanas. She held them in front of her and threatened to attack. She didn't have to though.  
  
"You crazy bitch, what the hell's wrong with you?"  
  
"Mental imbalance," she stated, smiling insanely at him.  
  
He fled the room. She turned around, pleased with the way that conversation had gone. She stood looking at her father. Sickness wrapped itself tighter and tighter around her stomach until it was all she could do not to scream.  
  
"Go ahead. Kill me," he said, as the sickness she felt was displayed in a crooked smile across his face.  
  
She gripped the katana tight to her chest and waited for him to approach her. The strength she felt bubbling just a moment ago slowed quickly to a simmer. She felt helpless. And as he raised a fist and brought it towards her face, she screamed.  
  
  
  
Outside, Lauren had heard the entire fight, but the darkness overtook the sound. She didn't know who was throwing the punches and who was receiving them. She had heard someone call Kelen a "crazy bitch" and had linked it to at least one good hit. But the scream was too much to take. She reached out and tried to pull the vent from its place in the wall. She received the same electric jolt that Kelen had felt earlier. She gave off a scream that matched Kelen's. She felt an immediate connection to her just in knowing they were both in pain, even if one outweighed the other. And she knew Kelen wouldn't give up without a fight.  
  
Raph reached his brothers breathing hard.  
  
"Where were you?" Leo asked.  
  
"Where's Lauren?" Donny questioned, immediately noticing her absence.  
  
"Back there," Raph said, gesturing with his hand. "We found Kelen."  
  
"Where is she?" Leo asked, looking around.  
  
Raph glared at him, "Getting her hair done. Where d'ya think?!"  
  
"Raph, calm down. Just bring us to her," Donnie said.  
  
He shot a cold look at him and turned on his heel. Then he shot off through an alley heading right back to where he came from. 


End file.
